


Lessons in Love (Nalu Lemon Story)

by korolevax



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Mental Illness, Multi, Romance, implied gajevy/gale, implied graloke, implied lyvia - Freeform, long story
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-13
Updated: 2017-03-28
Packaged: 2018-05-26 12:39:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 30
Words: 59,367
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6239755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/korolevax/pseuds/korolevax
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Her innocence is not so pure, and His good intentions turn dirty, can his heat save her from darkness, or will she be lost forever? ∞ Natsu Dragneel seems to be the only one to see the blonde bombshell side of Lucy. She doesn't quite see that as a bad thing, considering her fear of the outside world. ∞ [warning: mature content » sexuality + adult themes, language, some depressing or triggering scenes • few chapters will include smut. please do not report]∞ exy koroleva © 12.06.15 *all characters owned by Hiro Mashima; this is only my adaptation*</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. chapter » intro

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer + Warning: Some graphic or sensitive topics will be touched upon, such as (talk of) rape, mysophobia and OCD, & depression and anxiety. Please do not go on if you can't handle these subjects, and read cautiously if you choose to do so. This book is for enjoyment, but these topics are very serious.

Lucy drew her legs into her chest, wrapping her arms around them for safe keeping. Everything important, her heart and her chest, were diamonds; her body the safe. The tighter a ball she curled into, the more she could protect all of it. 

They were rough and unpolished, but diamonds nonetheless. 

Natsu crouched down in front of her as she cowered deeper into the couch. He was so gentle--like always--no matter when or where they were. His fiery touch made her spark when he was around. She didn't need to touch him, even; just being close was enough to feel the burn of his affection.

"You don't have to be scared." He cooed, his hands slowly grabbing onto her ankles. Rough hands slid up her calves in a minute loving gesture. "I'm not going to hurt you."

The blonde shook her head. Chocolate eyes shut so tightly that a few tears rolled out the edges, as they had no place left to go. They were kept inside so long it was impossible to detain then any longer. Streams of the water fell faintly down her round cheeks, dripping onto her chest. 

Natsu smiled sadly. That smile could set the ocean on fire. He leaned forward and placed small kisses along her leg. He felt them tense up at first, fearing pain rather than pleasure. He ran his hands up and down them as if she was just cold and he was trying to warm her up.

"Please don't be scared of me." Natsu pleaded softly, his lips brushing over her knees. He wrapped his hands around her calves, gently pulling her legs down away from her chest and into his.

Lucy sniffled quietly, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm not scared of you."

Deep set onyx eyes stared harmlessly up at her from between her legs, shining with a wet sadness that made Lucy start to cry even more. Those eyes weren't meant to hold such hurt. Natsu spoke lowly, his lips soft and steady as they formed trails over her body. "Then what are you scared of?" 

Lucy turned her head to the side, stifling a sound foreign to herself. Ever since she was a kid, she let no one touch her. And here she was, so grown up and so beautiful, shaking with fear as this man held her like she thought no one ever would. 

"I'm scared of this." Lucy whispered, her voice breaking into something short of a moan as Natsu kissed between her thighs. "I've done it before and I didn't like it."

Natsu didn't look up at her; he kept going down further between her legs, stroking her thighs until his hand brushed over her center. She let out a small cry, nerves bursting throughout her body. 

"If someone made you hurt in the past, I'm sorry. They just didn't love you." Natsu mumbled quietly, his fingers prying at the thin covering over her mound. 

More trails of tears rolled down Lucy's cheeks, realizing that every word he said was right. They didn't love her; no man could make the woman they love feel so much pain for so long. Natsu would be no different. 

No matter how manny kisses he laid on her skin, no matter how many times he said he'd be there for her, he'd leave. They always did.

"They just didn't love you." Natsu repeated. His fingers pulled apart Lucy's delicate folds, finding himself wetting Lucy's skin with saliva as he drooled over the small moans she was making. 

"If they didn't love you, I'm so sorry." Natsu whispered, his heartbeat paced evenly as he breathed over her core. "But I love you, and I'm going to make sure you fall in love with me."

∞


	2. chapter » one

A small snap sounded through the silent room and Lucy closed shut her bottle of hand sanitizer. The liquid smelled sweet, like vanilla cupcakes, as she spread it over her hands.

One thing she loved about college was the fact that is was so free. There were no more annoying bells during passing periods; instead, a polite professor dismissed them when he decided he was done talking. The outside campus was very nice as well, making for a great walk between buildings and her apartment. 

Lucy called out softly for the person in front of her to hold the door. Luckily they did--she didn't want to touch the door handle and have to pull out her hand sanitizer again. 

Smiling gratefully, she nudged the door open with the wide of her hip and wiggled her way out. Her skin was greeted by cool air that made the baby hairs stick straight up. Apparently a small sweater and jeans still wasn't enough to keep her warm this late October.

Her boots crunched over the gravely sidewalk as she strode outside. The courtyard was bustling with her classmates, though most of them she had never seen before. Magnolia was a huge city was just as giant of a college, so strange faces were bound to be seen. 

Though most of the people she had seen. For example, there was the same bluenette she always saw in the library when Lucy went to exchange her semester books for new ones. Or the raven haired boy who always took his shirt off once he left the room. And how could she miss the giant blonde man, always alone and listening to music under the tree?

All these people Lucy thought of as her friends, strangely enough. She saw them, and they saw her, though few to no words were ever exchanged. But just their presence seemed to comfort her, as if each one of them had a unique roll in her day to day activities. 

Not everyone stood out to her, but Lucy definitely made note of those who did. There was the redhead who lived next to her, and they would see each other every night while Lucy was walking inside and her neighbor was just leaving. 

Everyone was like a checkmark in her routine. Saw the blue haired girl in the library today? Check. Was the blonde still in his same spot at lunchtime? No, well he must be sick or something. Lucy never talked to these people nor did she have friends of her own to talk to. She just sort of--drifted. 

Each day was spent waiting for one moment; the time when Lucy would walk home and cross through her apartment lobby. She would walk to her mailbox and open it up, smiling politely at the pink haired boy who was always checking his mailbox as well. 

Lucy tugged the collar of her jacket tighter around her neck and quickly pushed through the revolving doors of her apartment building. The warm, heated air rushed at her so quickly she had to stop and take a deep breath to savor the moment. 

There he was; wearing jeans and a hoodie, a checkered scarf thrown haphazardly around his neck. His head was down as he looked through his stack of mail--he always had more than Lucy--yet his hair was pushed back and stayed out of his face. 

Lucy hummed quietly to herself, twisting the key inside her mailbox and swinging it open. Her eyes wandered into the empty box. Some days she never had any mail, but she liked the routine of seeing him there every day. 

The pink haired boy looked up at Lucy curiously, just seeing who it was. He smiled warmly like he always did. Lucy returned the gesture, rummaging around in her bag just to occupy herself. One of her few talents included pretending she was busy when she really wasn't.

She pulled out a small folder of hers, looking through it and shifting her weight from foot to foot as she waited. Wait for what, really, she wasn't sure. Just maybe for him to leave so she could get the satisfaction of being around someone in a comfortable silence. 

Once she heard his mailbox clank shut, she took a soft breath and closed hers as well. Lucy locked up and slid her key into her palm. The boy smiled at her again as they turned to each other, both holding a small stack of random papers and mail. 

The boy took a few steps forward just as Lucy went to turn away as well. They stepped into each other, colliding with a loud thud and falling to the ground. His mail flew in the air, scattering about and mixing with the papers that fell out of her folder. 

"I'm so sorry." He laughed nervously, pushing himself up onto his knees. His pink hair finally fell out in front of his face and over his eyes as he reached out to scoop the papers back into his possession. 

Lucy shook her head, blonde hair wiggling slightly in her ponytail. So that's what his voice sounds like, she thought, returning the dorky grin he had plastered over his face. "It's fine. I got mixed up, I should have seen you going the same way."

He just shrugged and pushed his mail into a sloppy pile in front of his knees. He kept reaching for and cleaning up Lucy's papers as well. He touched them, filing them into a jagged pile where none of the papers faced the same direction. It looked messy and out of order, and Lucy just imagined how long it would take her to organize them all again. 

"No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been so clumsy." He smiled, handing the stack of papers to Lucy. She grabbed them, of course, though she wasn't sure she wanted to; they were dirty from his hands and the floor, and she could print out more when she got upstairs. 

Lucy opened her mouth to protest but he quickly shut her up. "Why don't we just call it a draw, okay?"

His voice was so calm and sweet that Lucy couldn't help but take a moment to forget about the papers in disarray. "Alright."

He must have noticed her uneasy glance to the stack in her arms, so he apologized again. "You probably have to organize all those again, right? Sorry."

Although she was burning up inside, the blonde waved him away. "I don't have too, I just like to. So don't worry about it. We're even, remember?"

He nodded his head, giving her a warm smile that only seemed to turn up on the right corner of his mouth. It didn't seem as cocky as a smirk, so Lucy just settled on the idea that he had a quirky kind of smile. 

"I'm Natsu, by the way." He introduced himself at last, holding his mail to his chest so none of it spilled again as he offered her his hand. 

Lucy glanced at his outstretched arm, taking a deep breath. She pretended to have her hands full with her papers so she didn't have to shake it with him. "I'm Lucy."

"Well nice to finally know your name." Natsu shrugged softly, not seeming to be phased by his denied hand shake. "What floor do you live on? We can share an elevator."

The blonde girl perked up at the suggestion and pushed herself to her feet. Natsu mimicked her, standing up as well. He kept slowly taking small steps behind him as he walked to the elevators. "I live on the sixth floor."

Natsu whistled, sighing as he pressed the side of his fist against the up elevator button. A wide smile spread over Lucy's face as she realized she wouldn't have to touch any of those filthy buttons today. 

"Good thing the elevator works, I couldn't imagine walking up six flights every day." He said. Natsu stepped into the small cabin as the doors slid open, holding them for Lucy. 

She gingerly stepped beside him, hugging her papers to her chest. Natsu pressed the fourth floor button and then the sixth for Lucy. Mavis, bless this man, Lucy smiled to herself at his kindness. "Yeah, I really don't think I've ever used the stairs here."

There was just a blur of pink hair as Natsu nodded his head to what she had to say. "Well, you definitely seem like you walk up the stairs every day."

Lucy turned to him, raising her brows in confusion. He smiled awkwardly, tugging at the end of his scarf. "I just meant you look good, um - in shape? Yeah, I was just-"

"It's fine." Lucy laughed, clutching her papers to her chest. She could feel her heartbeat pulsing against her palms even through the entire stack. "I understand. And thank you."

Natsu's face was as pink as his hair as a soft rush of air audibly escaped his lips. "You're welcome." 

The elevator doors slid open, and Natsu nodded his head once at Lucy in a kind show of affection. "Nice meeting you, Luce, but this is my floor."

Lucy resisted the urge to pick her hand up and wave to him, afraid she'd drop her papers. "Nice to meet you, too."

"Oh, and Luce?" Natsu asked as the small bell sounded, signaling the doors closing. 

Her chest fluttered at the sudden trust he had in her where he gave her a nickname. It was nice, but it made her rather uncomfortable. That was probably just how he was though; some people were still nice. She hadn't lost faith in everyone yet. "Yes?"

"You didn't need to keeping pretending you had mail." He laughed, stuffing his hands in his pockets as the doors slid shut. "If you wanted to talk, just know I don't bite."

Lucy's throat dried up. She suddenly felt closed in, like the elevator was even smaller without him there with her. Her mind was screaming for it to go faster and finally let her out. 

Once the doors released her onto the sixth level, she stumbled out, panting and heaving. People weren't supposed to know how weird she was; definitely not the stranger she'd seen all these weeks. Now he knew, and he probably thought she was a creep, no matter how nice his words or how kind his smile. 

She was still hyperventilating when she got to her room, locking the door behind her and hanging her lanyard on the wall tack. Her arms dropped the papers from the chest, watching them flutter down and sink into the plastic trash can. 

They were dirty, touched by the floor and Natsu's hand, which had been Mavis-knows-where. Sure, they had weeks of lecture notes on them, but she just walked away to her laptop to print more out. While she was online, maybe she'd buy something so she actually had mail to pick up one of these days.

∞


	3. chapter » two

A tree missing its leaves. A café packed with college students. A bus stop collecting loiterers and pedestrians. All these were seen from Lucy's window on the sixth floor. 

It was a nice view at times; there were people she remembered seeing regularly on their way to grab a drink or some food. With it's crisp foliage and gray bark, the tree was a pleasant sight in the autumn. Other times, not so much. 

The cigarette smoke lingering at the bus stop made her throat dry up even from her safe barricade in her apartment. So many hands had touched the poles, the bench, it was repulsing. She was glad, however, that the cool weather gave her a chance to bundle up and avoid the contact. 

Her usual fall routine consisted of showering and dressing first thing as she woke. Her body would shroud into a layer of jeans and sweaters, scarves and gloves piled over it. She'd make toast, maybe coffee or soup; something easy and healthy. A bottle of sanitizer slipped it's way into her purse, followed by a tin of lotion to keep her hands from cracking. 

Leaving the golden hair encasing her head down around her shoulders, Lucy grabbed her key ring and made way downstairs. The elevator was empty, and she bumped the lobby button with her hip. Even the first floor seemed much colder, much more open than her safe and warm apartment upstairs. 

Her long legs carried her to the bus stop. The thoughts of walking to class kept cycling through her mind, but it was much too cold and her hands already felt dry inside their mitts. She hopped up over the curb, standing at the bus stop. 

She chose a place right beside the bench, a good two or three feet away to keep a sound distance from the smokers and loiterers waiting along with her. The cigarette fumes bled into the air, gray furls streaming with the wind and making way the Lucy. 

The blonde took a deep breath before putting her head down and burying her nose into her scarf. The man chuckled, chewing the cigarette between his smiling lips. His face was weathered, wrinkles covering the otherwise young face. 

"You want a puff?" He asked. His body leaned against the pole of the shelter. His smile was free of the cigarette as he pulled it out between his fingers, but smoke still ran from his mouth.

Lucy shook her head, refusing to look at him. Her voice was small; polite. "No, thank you."

The man raised a brow and shrugged. "Suit yourself, sweetie." He murmured. His lips wrapped around the bud and he took a long drag as if to entice her. 

She was debating walking again before she noticed the bus round the corner, a glorious savior of her own. Lucy would have smile but feared inhaling anything if she parted her lips. Nothing could have carried her onto the bus faster as it parked and opened its doors. 

People filled in behind her, some pushing past as she failed to grab a decent seat in time. Even with her gloves, she refused to grab onto one of the poles. She stood in the middle of the bus, hooking her leg around one of the poles to steady herself as they moved again. 

Lucy smiled nervously at the person sitting behind her. Prayers ran through her head so she didn't fall over on anyone. Buildings and trees whizzed by the dirty windows as they moved, the sky grey and cluttered with clouds. 

The bus took a sharp turn around the corner and Lucy's eyes widened in panic. Don't touch it, it's filthy! she whined to herself, looking around at something to steady her balance. Her leg let go of the pole in an attempt to balance, but she only fell on her side into the aisle. 

"Careful." Lucy's side ached as a solid arm slipped beneath her, catching her before her butt hit the ground. Her face burned with embarrassment, the chuckling voice only making her more nervous. 

"I'm sorry." She apologized quickly and pushed herself to her feet. The rosy pink head of head caught her eye first, then the deep set onyx eyes and the ivory skin. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

Natsu chuckled smugly at her. "Hurt me? You're fine." He shrugged and leaned into her, looking around like it was a secret. "I was trying to be a hero anyway."

Lucy nodded, giving him another polite smile. Her hands slid into the pockets of her sweater, her nose buried back into her scarf. 

She felt the black orbs just staring at her. It was impossible to tell if the constant gazing made her uncomfortable or warm. She wasn't able to answer her own question since he asked his. "Not a fan of buses?"

Natsu looked at her blankly, his eyes gesturing to her stiff body. His hand wrapped around the rope handle above him, his back leaning against the metal pole. Lucy shook her head. "Not particularly."

He kept swaying back and forth, peering over people's heads and trying to see out the windows. He sighed, making Lucy crane her neck to see was he was looking at outside. 

"Even so, it's not safe to just stand there." Natsu said at last. Lucy tore her gaze off the scenery on the other side of the windshield to look at him. 

His free arm snaked around her stomach, pulling her to his chest. He smelled warm, like cinnamon or campfire smoke almost. Lucy's lungs stopped working for a moment as the bus careened around the corner. She could feel every ounce of her body lean against him, begging that she wasn't crushing him or making him uncomfortable. Her back burned where his chest pressed against her. 

Natsu let her go as the bus leveled out again, heading straight down the road towards campus. Lucy immediately pushed herself off him. Fearing she'd been to hasty in getting away, she looked over her shoulder at him and gave him a gracious smile. 

He wasn't even looking at her when she turned, but his eyes met hers when he noticed her smile. It was like he was waiting for it, and he wasn't going to look at her unless he knew he'd see that smile. It made Lucy whine to herself softly, droned out by the public noise. 

"Thank you." Lucy said finally. The brakes squeaked at the bus came to a stop, slightly jolting forward. Natsu's face fell as he stumbled against her, his hand flying up and pressing against the metal bar as not to crush her.

He was so close. The scent was all she could smell; she tasted spices. His hair was all she could see, a color so beautiful Lucy wished it was her own. She could feel his warmth, hear his breath. For a moment it droned out the worries and the panic, breaking down the claustrophobic walls as he pressed her between himself and dirty metal bar. 

It was gone too soon. Natsu gave her a nervous smile in return, his ears matching the color of his hair. "Don't mention it." He said breathily. The young man pushed himself off her, quickly looking away to hide his embarrassment. 

The crowd began to disperse, the lack of body heat as people got off the bus giving Lucy a sense of relief. She tugged at her scarf a bit, noticing Natsu had his own face buried in the checkered fabric around his neck as well. She turned away from him as she walked off, his footsteps audible behind her. 

"Lucy?" Natsu called out. His voice was so whimsical it made her jealous. 

The blonde turned on her heel so abruptly he almost knocked into her. Natsu just smiled and looked down, pressing his lips together. They had gotten a bit chapped from the cold but still melted into a warm smile. "Can I have your number before we go?"

Lucy didn't know what to say. The obvious thing would be 'yes,' and she wanted to say it. It felt like hours had gone by before she actually opened her mouth. "Why?"

It came out much ruder than she'd intended. In all honesty she was baffled of course--no one had ever been so bold to her, let alone after knowing them so shortly. She never called nor texted anybody; sometimes she wondered by she even had a phone other than to make herself look busy when she was not. 

"I'd like to talk to you more." Natsu said simply. His ego was clearly unhurt by her blatant reply. 

Lucy would have scoffed if she hadn't been raised so properly. It was absolutely ridiculous that he would say such a thing. No one wanted to just talk to her. Not classmates, not family, and surely not strangers in her apartment building. They always wanted more. He would be no different. 

"I'm running late." Lucy said. She dug her hands around in her pockets, fumbling for her hand sanitizer. "Can I give it to you later?"

Natsu was silent a moment before he grinned and nodded. "Sure. I guess I'll have to get it later when we go to grab our mail." 

His lips curled into a teasing smile, the playfulness of his mood having the opposite effect on her. She kept snapping the lid of the sanitizer open and closed, dying to use some of it. She hadn't touched him, but just being around him made her feel so disgusted. 

"I guess." Lucy's face reddened, remembering yesterday. She'd have no mail today, and no reason to see him. Talking to one of her silent friends had only made her want to avoid him. She made a note to herself never to talk to the blue haired librarian girl too long, as well. 

Lucy was the first to leave. She turned her back to him, not wanting to be around him any longer. Prying the mittens of her hands, she pulled out the sanitizer and let a generous heap fall into her palm. Never again would she let someone touch her, to make her filthy. Not even Natsu. 

She still felt him behind her, watching her with that affectionate little smile he seemed to constantly adorn. She imagined the way his eyes caught the light, shining at her as she walked away. Lucy wanted to turn around, to see for herself, but every time she had done that things never ended well. 

Lucy kept walking. Her hands stung a bit from constantly scrubbing, but at least the numbing cold went away as her gloves slid back on them. She was dirty as a child, ruined by people who claimed to be interested in her. There was no way she'd let herself fall back into the routine of being shamed and dirtied, disgusted by the hands of another man. 

Lucy had grown up, but that didn't mean she could take care of herself. 

 

∞


	4. chapter » three

Astronomy had always been Lucy's favorite class. There were pictures stuck to her fridge of the telescopes over Mauna Kea, alongside ones of the Observatory at the Canary Islands. It had always been a dream of hers to visit, one that could let her leave behind what she had and start something far better. 

She knew, though, that it would never be her profession. Lucy didn't like the stars in the way that she calculated them; she liked them in the way that she wanted to be them. They were so distant, yet so beautiful. Everyone would stare at her, admire her, yet not become too obsessed, so that when morning came, she was alone at peace again. 

That was her dream. If she were in grade school and had written "a star" down on her "What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up?" paper, her teacher would have sighed and told her that being famous would be a bit tricky. That wasn't exactly her idea of stardom. 

Astronomy class was nearly over. Her professor had finished his lecture and left the notes up on his board for anyone to finish copying. Lucy had already done her share, of course, and looked around the room after closing her laptop. 

There was a very polite looking white haired girl Lucy had talked to occasionally. She had short hair, sharing a similar interest in the night sky as Lucy. It was nice, and Lucy felt comfortable around her. But she was not here today, so Lucy kept watching. 

An orange haired man leaned back in his chair, swaying softly. He would occasionally look back and throw Lucy a wink. His flirtation was obvious, but as soon as he left the room there were more females for him to feast his eyes upon. Most people Lucy knew would've found him humorous. She found him to be old, like she had dealt with him all her life and was ready for something new. 

She found herself staring at him anyway. Lucy felt her chest heating up as if she had just gotten an awful heartburn. Even if they talked, she felt she knew him her forever. Maybe he reminded her of her family; those who watched only for a moment while it benefitted them before moving on. Those who used her only when they felt like it. 

Lucy's heart finally calmed down, itching to see Natsu again. He would either make the feeling go away, or it would only burn more. She didn't care. She just needed to feel. 

∞

Her next class was assumed to be no better. Lucy had become one to prepare for the worst. Yet she opened up the door, an immediate mass of red and pink hair catching her eye, she didn't know what to think.

Lucy had never seen Natsu in any of her classes before. He was meant to be the stranger at her apartment, and that had already been ruined when they met. He seemed to make her whole world crumble down further as she saw him sitting in a chair beside the red haired woman who lived in the same apartment building. 

Natsu and the redhead hadn't noticed her until she stepped a few feet inside. His eyes were down, more than likely looking at his phone or something as he swished side to side in boredom. Erza was beside him, tapping away a laptop. 

The dark eyes lifted up casually, widening he made out the familiar face. He sat up in his chair and waved her over. "Lucy!"

She smiled softly, looking down at the floor as she walked up a few stairs to their seat. She stood beside him, tugging at the strap of her messenger back to keep her busy. "I didn't know you took Statistics."

"Statistics? Is this a math class?" Natsu's face pale, speaking almost angrily as he turned to the redhead. "Why the hell would he ask me to takes for him then?"

The redhead grunted, her polite way of saying 'shut up.' Lucy didn't know what else to do other than stand there awkwardly. She was about to turn away and grab a seat, but Natsu finally swiveled his chair back in her direction and smiled quirkily. 

"I don't take Statistics..." Natsu said slowly, the word itself foreign to him. "Me and Erza don't have class for the rest of the day and our friend has a cold, so he asked us to take notes for him."

Lucy nodded. She couldn't help but smile as she saw his. It was bright, it was lopsided, and it looked absolutely childish. She couldn't understand why she liked it so much. Natsu cleared his throat, nudging the chair at Lucy's side out a bit as a gesture for her to sit. 

Thankful she didn't have to ask, Lucy pulled out the chair and slipped into it. She pulled her laptop out of her bag, setting it on the table. From her peripherals, Natsu gave her a few awkward looks before peering over his shoulder. "Am I the only one without a laptop here?"

Lucy nodded. "Yeah." She said simply.

Natsu was still amazed that he someone seemed to be the oddball. Lucy sighed quietly at him, opening up her notes for the class. The redhead on the other side of Natsu finally tore her eyes from her computer and gave Lucy a quizzical look. 

"You live in our apartment building, don't you?" She asked, resting her elbow on the table and her chin in her hand. "I know I've seen you there."

The words must have pulled Natsu from his attention-deficit-disorder-like trance, making him swivel in his chair again to look at her. "Yeah, Lucy lives on the same floor as you."

Their comfortableness around her only made her feel the opposite. She felt like they were childhood best friends, and she was someone who joined a little too late. "I think I have seen you before." Lucy admitted. There was the redhead who lived next to her, and they would see each other every night while Lucy was walking inside and her neighbor was just leaving. 

The mystery ginger now had a name to her face, and Lucy's world of silent understanding was further falling apart. Erza. It was a pretty name, too. The beauty only made her more rattled. She wasn't sure what was more upsetting; the fact that things were changing, or the fact that things were so much more beautiful than she thought. 

Erza nodded, pushing her hands over her head to pat at the flyaway strands that escaped her otherwise sleek ponytail. Once everything was in place yet again, she turned back and immersed herself in note-taking for her sick friend. 

Class had started by now, and Lucy was surprised Natsu hadn't fallen asleep yet. It wasn't much to her surprise, either, that he pulled a vending machine sized bag of cheese crackers from his pocket. 

The only sound in the room was the aged and tired voice of their professor and pitter of typing. Lucy's skin crawled as Natsu opened up his plastic bag. The noise filled the room, keeping the bag under the table so the instructor didn't see. Erza turned to him, jabbing her elbow into his side to get him to shut up. 

Natsu shrugged innocently, looking over his shoulder as if to blame others for being so loud. No one in the room bought it, including the professor; all eyes turned to him, narrowing plainly and unamused. Natsu's face reddened as he leaned back into his seat. 

Lucy couldn't help but shake her head. She felt embarrassed to be beside him. Perhaps it made her an awful friend, but she hated the attention, even if it was just for being around him. Her face was just as red as his before everyone looked away and she could feel herself breathe again. 

"Sorry." Natsu gave her a silly smile. Something told Lucy that he was apologizing her simply since he was too scared of Erza. As he shoved a handful of food in his mouth, he didn't look too sorry. 

Lucy nodded, trying to be polite but quickly regarding him before turning to her computer screen again. Natsu must have noticed her uneasiness, his smile fading as he turned to the speaker as well. 

Time seemed to escape her. She had immersed herself in her work. Lucy was raised to be studious. There was no denying math wasn't her favorite, but she needed the grades fro her own sanity over anything else. It must have been at least a half an hour before she felt Natsu nudging her under the table. 

She looked over, feeling his leg nudge against hers. Natsu had a small smile on his face, yet his eyes were still on the speaker at the front of the room. Lucy turned back to her laptop as she felt her face redden with heat. 

Natsu was flirting with her. Just a subtle touch, a simple gesture, went so far. Lucy's body tensed up as she moved away from him. She liked it when she didn't know him, when she could imagine him to be dense and oblivious. The only part of him she pegged correctly was his absolute boldness. 

She could see Natsu frowning from the corner of her eye. Had she upset him? Of course she had. She doubted he was thinking the same. He didn't care if he upset her, no one ever did. Lucy took a deep breath and kept typing, though the words were a blur to her. 

Focus was impossible. Lucy heard everything, saw everything, but nothing made it further than that. When Natsu was in the room, the only thing in her mind was his smile. 

∞

Erza was the first to part ways. She had packed up her computer and said her goodbyes after informing then of her job at 8-Island that she needed to be at. Lucy gave her a warm smile, watching the mass of smooth red hair depart along with the rest of the class. 

Packing up her own belongings, Lucy quickly gathered herself and pulled away from the room. She didn't want to be there any longer. She could still feel Natsu's touch against her leg. She could still see his smile each time she closed her eyes. His laugh rang in her ears. Why did she ever want this?

"Lucy!" Natsu stood up after her, jogging down the steps. He struggled to catch up with her as she briskly walked away. "Wait up!"

Even the excited way he popped the word "up" made Lucy whine to herself. His footsteps tapped loudly behind her as they walked outside. 

The air met them harshly, snapping them with wind at first before they finally got used to the autumn chill. Lucy sighed and tugged her scarf tightly around her, not looking at Natsu as he walked beside her. 

"I'm sorry if I upset you back there." Natsu said. His apology seemed so genuine. Lucy wanted a reason to hate him other than her own messed up ideas, yet he gave her nothing.

Lucy shook her head. "Don't worry about it. I was just surprised, that's all." It was the truth, but a fraction of it. Scared would have better summed it up. 

"Would you be surprised if we went to that café by our apartment building later today?" Natsu asked. His face was plan, simply waiting for her to respond no matter what her answer was. 

She panicked. No one often asked her personal questions. Lucy always found those the hardest ones; studying yourself was far more difficult than reading any book. She must have been quiet for too long, as Natsu moved them off the sidewalk and leaned against the brick wall of the building, Lucy trapped between his body and the structure at her back. 

Her brown eyes widened up at him as he placed his hand beside her head. The cuff of his sleeve brushed her ear. She felt like she was back on the bus with him, trapped under his protection from the outside world. His breath came out in puffs, visible like dragon's steam in the cold air. 

Natsu leaned in more. She could feel his lips come closer to hers, the warmth from his spreading to hers through the thin space between them. His black eyes were staring at her mouth. Sweat beaded throughout Lucy's body. The claustrophobic feeling returned.

"I don't like when people touch me." Lucy murmured. She slid away from him, ducking her head to avoid the dejected look on his face. She tugged her bag over her shoulder and kept walking. 

I know I just met you. Lucy's breath came in ragged patterns, her feet shuffling over the sidewalk as she went. Her legs felt weak, but she knew she was practically running home. Her eyes felt tired, yet they stared at the street ahead of her for so long they burned. So why do I feel like I can't function without you?

She looked over her shoulder. Natsu still stood against the wall, his arm leaning against the bricks and his head hung, ready the kiss the ghost of the girl who was never entirely there.

∞


	5. chapter » four

Lucy didn't need a kiss to feel the warmth of his lips; Natsu's radiance was burning just shy of the point of it being painful. 

She wondered if she had imprinted on him the same lingering fire he left on her skin. It surely had to hurt, whether it was his ego or not, but it was nothing compared to any pain becoming involved would've caused them. 

She wrung her hands together, nervously tugging at her gloves. Just being so close to him was enough to make her feel disgusted; she had this scent over her that left her skin ridged with chills, her pores sweating at the same time.

He was a burning sun, and every thought of hers revolved around him. Annoying was an understatement for the constant nagging at the back of her mind. The idea of someone being so involved with her made her want to cry with aggravation. 

He's too oblivious to be so cruel on the inside, Lucy assured herself. Though she always had a way of picking out the bad guys. 

The tiredness had set in by the time Lucy got home. The thin mittens pulled off her hands and fell into the bin beside the door, right next to her keys. Her jacket, her shoes were in a heap on the floor, the blonde too hasty to put then away neatly as usual. He was already messing with her and he wasn't even here.

Lucy pulled the hair tie from her blonde locks, the mess of yellow tumbling down. Her scalp ached from having it in such tight hold. Relief flooded her body and she fell onto her bed, limbs snuggling under the thick blankets. 

Her bed was warm, but it felt empty. There was no humid breath rushing against her face, no heat wrapping its arms around her body. The sun seemed too far away, like its heat wasn't quite making its way to reach her.

∞

His scarf was softer than she imagined. The fabric bunched up, clenched in her fist. She pulled it closer to her, the black and white checkers all she could see.

Her sight was blurry, like she just woke up to see the sun hovering a foot above her face. Everything was cast in a golden halo; burning gracefully.

The smile was the brightest thing of all. It was broad and carefree, just as white as the pattern on half his scarf. It took up all her sight. All else ceased to exist. 

Her skin flared with heat as his hand pressed against her outer thigh. The muscles in her leg seemed to contract and relax all at once, conflicted by each sensation of his touch. 

"Luce." His lips were gentle against her skin. Each breath he took tickled her, goosebumps running over flesh in excitement. 

She couldn't keep her hands from sifting through his hair. Never had she felt anything so soft. The color was soothing, the sensation addicting. His scent enveloped her.

"Luce," his hands caressed further up her thigh, palms pressing into the wide of her hips, "relax."

She didn't know how; every cell on her body was humming with ecstatic vibrations. They made her hands shake. Her only hope was to clench tighter onto his scarf, onto his hair, and hope his warmth would calm her. 

Her chest rose and fell with each breath. His exhales became her inhales, the breaths shared between them tumbling around like smoke in the air. 

His hands moved from her hips, sliding over the skin of her stomach. Her body seized subtly, his warm hands soon prying the tension away. Her body writhed beneath him, long legs kicking softly under his body.

A strong, solid knee pressed up between her legs. She felt a string of quiet hums leave her mouth. Her center trembled, shaking with nerves. His leg shifted, wetness seeping from her mound from his touch. 

"Luce." His dark eyes flickered up to meet hers. The breath from his lips tickled her ear, his canines grazing her skin as he spoke. "Let me feel you."

"Natsu."

∞

Lucy bolted upright in bed. The heart in her chest beat so roughly that her chest hurt. The blood rushed to her head, a migraine that escaped once she pulled herself to reality. 

The front door was rattling, someone on the other side knocking impatiently. The thumping noise did nothing to help. Lucy was sweating, her heart beating frantically in her chest. 

He's everywhere. Lucy eagerly took in gulps of breath, one after the other. She swung her legs over the side of her bed. They were shaking still.

Lucy grabbed a cardigan, pulling it over her arms and crossing them tightly over her chest. Her tired legs carried her across the floor, begging the pounding at her door to stop. 

She didn't even bother looking through the peephole. Her hand grasped the doorknob, unbolting it and tearing it open. "Erza?"

The redhead smiled happily at her. She looked impatiently up from her phone, as if she was in the world's most intense conversation. "Lucy! Sorry, didn't mean to invite myself over."

Erza had a nice smile. It was genuine and smooth, like it could calm a storm. She teetered back and forth, sliding the phone in her butt pocket as she looked around inside. "Are you free?"

Lucy forced a small smile, her shoulders raising and falling helplessly. "Yeah, I guess. Why?"

The redhead pulled her phone out again, presumably scrolling through texts. "Well, Natsu and I were going to the café close by. He said he asked you, but you left before you said anything?"

Lucy's face fell. She was such an idiot to be so cruel like that and not even give an answer. A deep sigh escaped her lips. "Well-"

"Knowing Natsu it wasn't your fault. Let me guess, he scared accidentally made you trip or something?" She laughed quietly, locking her phone and putting it back in her pocket yet again. "He's such a klutz."

"Klutz?" Lucy furrowed her brows. She leaned heavily on the door, feeling weak suddenly. "I wouldn't see that in him."

Erza narrowed her eyes, trying to see if Lucy was joking or not. She finally chuckled, shaking her head. "You're kidding, right? It's amazing he hasn't screwed something up yet."

"No, actually. He's been really nice." The more Erza talked, the worse Lucy felt. Everything that went wrong was her fault; if Natsu was truly so clumsy, then she deserved an award for this. "The only thing he did was crack open that bag of food in class."

Lucy managed a small laugh. Erza nodded, her smile widening. "If that's the worst, then consider yourself lucky."

The blonde smiled nervously. "Lucky me."

Erza sighed, looking Lucy up and down. "Well, put on a coat. It's cold outside and we're walking." She said, raising a brow at Lucy as she just stood there.

"Oh. Uh, yeah." Lucy nodded. She didn't remember agreeing to tag along, but she turned back inside her apartment anyway. "Yeah, come on in. I'll be a minute."

Lucy turned her back to the redhead, trailing further into her apartment. She heard the door close again, and could only pray that Erza didn't touch anything. 

∞

For as long as Lucy had lived in the apartment complex and walked by the café every day to school, she'd never actually taken the time to sit down inside.

It wasn't anything special: there were tables crowded with kids drinking coffee and snagging any free wi-fi they could get. There were a few baristas, and the smell of ground cacao beans was overpowering. 

Erza and Lucy stepped inside. The noise was surprising low for the crowd inside. At a table to their right was Natsu, sitting beside a dark haired boy with a scowl permanently across his face. 

"Natsu!" Erza waved her hand happily. She grabbed Lucy's wrist, and pulled the blonde along to the round table before she could protest. She smiled evenly at the other boy. "Gray."

The dark haired boy grunted in acknowledgement as Erza sat down beside him. The only seat left open was beside her and Natsu. The sight itself looked intimidating, before Natsu kicked out his foot and nudged the chair out for her.

He didn't say anything. He didn't even look at her; Natsu watched Erza and Gray, his hands in his pockets. Lucy sat down gingerly, laying her purse over her lap without a word.

"You got the notes, thanks." Gray perked up quickly. He sat up in his seat, looking over the screen at Erza. "I was wondering if Natsu got any, but of course he didn't."

The pink haired boy scoffed. "Don't ask me to take notes for you then."

Gray rolled his eyes. "I didn't ask you. I asked Erza, and you just happened to be there to listen to our conversation. Which is rude, by the way." He retorted angrily. 

"Rude? Look who's talking, stripper." Natsu seethed, sitting back in his chair. His face was so much more solemn than Lucy had seen. 

"You're a stripper?" Lucy asked. Her face reddened quickly, knowing how rude she must've sounded to a complete stranger. 

Everyone at the table quieted. Erza burst out into laughter, seeing the dark haired boy's face pale and blank. Natdu cracked a forced smile. 

"You must be Lucy." Gray stood up, sighing. He wore a sweatshirt--which was clearly Erza's from the pink color to the glittered hood strings--and basketball shorts a size too big. "I'm not a stripper and you're coming to get coffee with me."

He already walked away, heading confidently to the cash counter. Lucy looked to Erza and Natsu, but both of them just shrugged as if to say 'good luck.' 

Lucy huffed and pushed out her chair, quickly following after Gray. He long strides, and was already at the counter by the time she ran to catch up with him.

"Yeah, I'm Lucy." She smiled awkwardly. "I didn't know you knew me."

"I didn't. Well, until like twenty minuted ago." He shrugged, not looking at her. "Coffee or tea?"

Lucy furrowed her brows. "Um, chai tea. Please." She murmured. He was so straightforward, his odd clothing and unamused behavior didn't seem to affect him. "Erza told you I was coming?"

Gray shook his head, briefly looking at Lucy. She had the feeling he only reason he looked at her was to avoid the stare from the bluenette barista who was obviously flirting with him. 

"Natsu told me. After he made me put on his extra shorts, he then proceeded to torture me further and tell me about some blonde girl that 'makes him want to scream.'" He rolled his eyes. "His words, not mine."

Lucy's chest tightened with the realization. She wanted to look back at him, but she had the feeling Natsu would only make her more upset. His words. Lucy could easily scream, too. 

The blue haired lady slid them their drinks, flashing Gray a sweet smile. He ignored her, grunting to himself as he and Lucy walked back to their table.

"Why did they have to give you their clothes?" Lucy tilted her head to him questioningly.

She sipped her drink, coughing a little from the bitter taste. Lucy turned the drink around, reading the label: 

Gray-sama

There was a streaky, hand-drawn heart scribbled by his name. Lucy stifled a smile, tapping his shoulder and holding the cup up to him in exchange. 

Gray groaned, whining like a child as they swapped cups again. Lucy was all too relieved he hadn't taken a sip of hers yet. "They made me. I was happy in my underwear."

Lucy looked up at him with wide eyes. "It's cold outside. You can even get arrested for that."

Gray shook his head. "I'm attractive, no one was complaining except that hot-head."

Lucy laughed softly. "I don't think that's how it works."

They sat down across from each other, the silent contentment fading as conversation started. Natsu kept his smile up, but the fire was weak. 

∞


	6. chapter » five

Spending time with other people as if she had friends was a new experience to Lucy. It was normal for people to do this, she knew, but sitting there in the café and talking to people she barely knew was an odd feeling. 

Never in her life had she had that. It wasn't really hers, though; this was just a temporary thing, until the tree of them realized Lucy was nothing special and they could resume there lives without her. 

"Alright, Gray and I are out." Erza sighed, standing up from her seat. Lucy realized she had a habit of speaking for other people. "I need to make sure Princess doesn't sick or expelled."

Gray rolled his eyes. He stared at the drink in his hand, the signature from the smitten barista clearly more interesting than Erza's idea. "Oh boy, shopping with mom."

The redhead glared down at him as she scooted her chair in with her foot. "Would you rather keep wearing my clothes?" She tested angrily. 

Looking up at her, Gray rolled his eyes even harder just for effect before he finally succumbed and stood up. "Fine. But I get to pick out my own clothes." He grumbled. Gray buried his head in his arm as he let out a few coughs. 

"If that were true, you'd buy nothing but underwear." Erza scolded under her breath. She looked him up and down as he coughed. "We're buying medicine, too."

Turning to Lucy, the redhead extended her free hand in front of Lucy. "Nice to meet you. Maybe we can see each other again soon. We do live close, so don't be a stranger, alright?" Erza smiled warmly. 

Don't be a stranger. That was an odd thing to say, and Lucy wasn't sure how to respond. She just returned a feeble smile and cupped her drink tightly between both hands, denying Erza's hand shake. "Nice to meet you, too." 

Lucy wasn't sure what hurt more; how long Erza kept her hand out and waited for a shake, or the look on her face as she drew it away. "I'll see you around then. Later, Natsu." Erza said, her voice only a notch quieter as she turned away. 

Gray and Erza turned their backs to Lucy, and the blonde watched them all the way until they were out of the building. Their figures passed out of the shop until they could no longer be seen through the windows. 

The silence between Lucy and Natsu made her drink go cold. It's like they were old friends who had known each other for so long that they had nothing new to say. Or they were perfect strangers. Lucy wondered which one they look like to the people around them. 

A part of her enjoyed the silence. She wanted to bathe in it, to enjoy nothing but the smell of her tea and maybe the gentle rubbing of Natsu's leg up against hers under the table. It wouldn't happen, not after her obvious rejection to him. 

Both of them sat there, twiddling with the paper cup in their hands. Lucy's eyes darted up to steal a glance at Natsu, but he was already looking at her. They both looked away, red faced and stiff bodied. 

"I should get going-"

"It was nice coming here but-"

They both spoke at the same time, their pitiful excuses for goodbyes clashing with one another. Natsu and Lucy's eyes met again as they gave each other awkward smiles. 

"We can walk home together then." Natsu offered, though it was more of a demand. Lucy had no choice but to stand up as he did, scooting in her chair and grabbing her purse off the back of it. She gently threw it over her shoulder before walking towards the door. 

Before she could open the door herself, Natsu's lean arm brushed past the side of her head and pushed it open. He gave her a warm smile, his face dangerously close to hers as she quickly and silently thanked him. 

The cool air nipped at her, making her bury her face into her scarf. Luckily, Natsu noticed her uncomfortableness with the cold and quickened up his pace. He grabbed Lucy's forearm, the warmth of his hand seeping through her coat. His touch was on fire. 

Natsu looked over his shoulder, smiling at her as he pulled her along. "Come on." He whined almost childishly, his footsteps light and skipping. 

Lucy hated the cold, and the other boy's eagerness to get out of it made her smile. She fluffed up her scarf as she picked up her pace, running along beside him. 

She couldn't remember the last time she ran like that. It was surely middle school or younger, when she was running simply to run. Now it felt somehow similar, like she was a child and he was her schoolmate on the play yard. 

They kept running. Luckily their apartment building was close to the café, and it only took a wild burst of energy for the two of them to topple through the doors of their complex. They stopped once they were inside, their panting breath no longer visible from the cold air. 

Natsu smiled widely, catching his breath as Lucy did so. She didn't know why such a stupid thing made her feel so happy. After spending the past few years doing nothing but sitting in lecture room, it was tiring too. But seeing such an intoxicating smile on Natsu's face made her chest burn with happiness. 

The pink haired boy took a deep breath as he pressed his fist into the button on the side of the elevator. The doors slid open, and he held out his arm in a gesture for her to step inside. 

Lucy laughed quietly, sarcastically bowing her head at him as she brushed by him. Natsu pressed the button on the side, and the six button lit up immediately. 

He lives on the fourth floor. Lucy noted to herself. Her breath finally evened out, and the elevator ride was oddly quiet as neither of them spoke. Does he plan on inviting himself in?

Lucy didn't hold it against him. As the elevator doors slid open, she knew it was inside for him to still be so interested in someone so cruel to him. Maybe that was his thing. 

The blonde stepped out of the elevator, taking light footsteps across the hallway to her door. She glanced at Erza's door, waiting to see the red head with arms crossed and deep eyes fixated on her. Lucy rummaged around in her purse to find her keys. 

"Thanks for coming out with us today." Natsu's voice was clear and airy as he spoke. She tried to imagine what he sounded like when he was anything other than happy, but the idea couldn't come to her. It was impossible to imagine him without a smile.

Lucy looked over her shoulder as she pulled her lanyard out, swinging the keys on her chain. "Thanks for inviting me."

Natsu glanced down at her lips as she gave him a slight smile. "Don't mention it. You seem kinda quiet, anyway. The quiet ones are always the most interesting."

Lucy sighed. Her hands tightened around her keys, ready for the fatal blow. She slid the key into the lock, mentally bracing herself for the words of rejection to be returned back at her. "Yeah?" She said plainly, not looking at him. 

She could see Natsu smile at her through the corner of her eye. "Yeah. I like it when I'm right."

Lucy's face heated up. She could feel the pink staining her rounded cheeks. Just like that her mood changed. She felt light hearted again, but just the fact that he could make her feel so many things so easily made her angry. Not enough to say goodbye, though. 

"Want to come inside?" Lucy asked, pushing her door open and dropping her keys back into her bag. She stepped inside, leaning on the door for support. Her knees felt weak. "I'll make us tea."

If it was possible, Natsu's smile grew even wider. He didn't allow her any time to move out of the way; he just stepped inside, eagerly scanning his eyes around her apartment. "Thanks."

Lucy closed the door, hanging her coat up on the rack. She dropped her purse on the table, neatly placing her shoes down as she stepped out of them. Natsu shrugged off his jacket as well, but he just held it in his arms as he looked around her living room. 

"You have a lot of books." Natsu murmured. Lucy watched him standing still for a moment, probably figuring someone as clumsy as him didn't want to touch anything in fear he might mess it up. Lucy was a little scared of it too, so she just ducked into the kitchen and grabbed a pot for water.

"Yeah, they were all from my mother." Lucy called out to him. It was a small enough space she didn't have to be too loud, which was odd when she hadn't heard a reply from Natsu. 

She looked over her shoulder, seeing him still standing there in the open and holding onto his coat. His gaze was glued onto a picture frame on Lucy's table. "Is that you?"

Lucy craned her head to see what he was talking about. Her eyes widened, her chest tightening angrily. "Don't look at my things." Lucy said blatantly, her hand grabbing the frame and putting it down against the table top. 

Natsu's face reddened a little bit. "Sorry. I didn't know it was private."

She turned her back to him, walking into the kitchen and grabbing the loose tea from the cabinet. It was stupid thing to get mad at him for, but no one ever came to her home; she never bothered to hide personal things like that. 

"Do you like raspberry? It's all I have left." Lucy murmured, cracking open the jar. 

Natsu didn't answer again. She sighed to herself, instantly wondering what else Natsu was looking at. More pictures she should have thrown away? 

She wheel around, her face red and prepared to snap at him again. Natsu was standing in the kitchen though, and before she could ask herself why she hadn't heard him, she lost her voice. 

Her back bumped up against the countertop, her hands gripping onto the edge at her sides. Natsu stood in front of her not wasting any time in grabbing her face in his hands. They were warm, making her skin burn up at the contact of it. Natsu closed his eyes, his lips parted and breath heavy. 

He wasted no time his pressing his lips against her. Her head was caught in his hands, her lips stuck between his. Even if she wanted to move, she couldn't. Her hands gripped tighter onto the edge of the counter, knuckles going white. 

Natsu pulled away. Her lips felt like burning and melting right then and there. She closed her mouth, swallowing the lump that formed in her throat. Natsu's dark eyes bore down into hers. They had this empty look, glazed over as his hands fell from her face.

A million questions bordering on 'did he not like the kiss?' all swarmed her mind. His hands fell, but when they did, they grabbed onto her hips and pulled them close again. Natsu slid his hands under her thighs, picking her up and setting her down on the kitchen counter. 

Her hands still gripped the edge, unable to move and do anything other than stare at him. He quickly replaced his lips on hers, and the burning sensation flooded her entire body. She wasn't sure it was painful or not; it was too intense, and her entire body felt like she was about to seize up if he kept his mouth pressed against hers for any longer. 

As if he knew what she was feeling, Natsu pulled away. His face seemed almost strained, like he was holding back. He hands drew away from her, his arms rigid and tense with adrenaline. 

And just like that, the empty look left his eyes and his body relaxed. His face was still solemn, though, like he realized he had just hurt her by doing that. Lucy wasn't even sure if that was correct or not; her skin was humming, but the longer she waited, the more it felt like she was being torn apart in the most painful way possible.

The longer he stood there, the more disgusted she felt. 

"Go away." Lucy said. Her voice was small and shaky, but she managed. "Go away. You're disgusting." 

Tears brimmed Lucy's eyes, and she had the sudden urge to rip off her skin and buy a new shell to live in. Natsu didn't seem phased by her insults. 

She wanted to yell at him, but she couldn't. He turned his back to her, picking his coat up off the floor and laying it over his arm. "I'll see you tomorrow." He murmured. 

There was silence, and then the door clicked shut behind him as he left. Lucy tugged her lip between her teeth, scraping at it as if it would help her rid her mouth of the dirtied feeling. She brushed away the water stuck to her lashes, her hands laying back down and gripping onto the edge of the counter. 

They had to take baby steps, and she didn't know which one of them hated it more.

∞


	7. chapter » six

Lucy did not see Natsu the next day like he had said. Nor the next day, nor the day after that.

Not having any classes together made it a lot easier to avoid each other. Though, they weren't really avoiding. Lucy wasn't, at least. She wasn't sure if she wanted to see him or not. She clearly owed him an apology, but even if she saw him she doubted she'd be able to manage the words. 

It had almost been a week since Lucy had first met Natsu. That made it only a few days since their first and last kiss. It was strange that it happened so quickly, but she felt like she was waiting for it her entire life. 

The weather was still just as bitter and cold as it had been lately. Lucy was thankful for the constant in her life, even if it was unenjoyable to walk in. Just the stability made her feel a little more at ease. 

It wasn't her first option, but walking up and waiting at the bus stop was the best idea to get out of the cold. There were the smokers as usual, and she coughed just looking at the grey tinge in the air. 

"Want a puff?" The same gruff voice from last week asked her. If she wasn't so shy, she'd ask his name so she had something to call him other than The Bus-stop Asshole. She just calmly smiled and shook her head. 

The man pouted, one arm wrapped around the metal pole of the stop sign as he leaned on it. That's gross. Lucy scrunched up her nose at him as he blew smoke into her face. "Awe, why not, sweetheart?"

Before she could answer, someone else had. "Bacchus, you got a light?" 

Lucy and the other man both looked behind him to see the raven-haired and scowl-faced man named Gray. "Morning, Lucy. Is he bugging you?"

The blonde shook her head in a lie. Gray just sighed, holding out the cigarette between his fingers for Bacchus to light it. Without a word, the man did, and Gray drew it to his lips again. 

"Nice clothes." Lucy said quietly. Bacchus groaned, clearly unamused by the conversation he wasn't involved in and left. 

Gray smirked as he bit onto his cigarette. "Thank you. They're new."

A small smile tugged at Lucy's lips. "I figured." She shuffled her feet on the sidewalk as she saw the bus round the corner. "You're into some bad habits, you know."

Furrowing his brows at her, Gray pulled the stick from his mouth and frowned. "Whad'ya mean?"

Lucy shrugged. "Smoking and stripping. You're not exactly an exemplary student."

Gray laughed, and it sounded so genuine Lucy laughed as well. It had been a while since she made someone laugh like that. Someone other than Natsu, even, but that was another story. "I can't help it. The rebel-type just speaks to me."

There was a high pitched screech as the bus halted at the curb. The doors opened and people filed on. Gray stood behind Lucy, waiting for her to go on and he to follow. There was one seat left, and Lucy sat on the very edge after Gray gave her a courteous and understanding nod. 

"The rebel type?" Lucy smiled up at him. He leaned against one of the poles, one hand lazy tangled into one of the rope handles. "Is that why you have innocent baristas swooning over you?"

Gray looked down at her, clicking his tongue as if to say 'wrong move.' "Stay in your lane, blondie." He chuckled, drawing the cigarette between his lips. 

"No smoking on the bus." The driver announced. 

Both Bacchus and Gray murmured "bite me" at the same time. 

"So what's up with you and Natsu?" Gray asked after a moment. He dropped his cigarette on the floor of the bus and stomped it out. 

Lucy was too phased by his question to be disgusted by his littering. That seemed like a Gray thing to do; he made you look away from his mistake by distracting you with something else. Like randomly taking his shirt off, but apparently now wasn't the time. 

"Um, I don't know. I haven't seen him since the day we went to the café." Lucy admitted. She was glad that was her answer, as anything else would've made him pry. Lucy wasn't good under pressure like that. 

Gray shrugged. "Really? I never would've guessed honestly. He talks about you like he just got done seeing you."

Lucy furrowed her brows. Her legs tensed up and scooted her back onto her seat as the bus turned a sharp corner. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that hothead always has something to say. S'like he can't shut up." Gray groaned, and Lucy had a feeling it may turn into a venting session of his own. "Erza always likes talking about it to him, though. They gossip like girls."

Lucy's brow furrowed deeper. "Erza is a girl."

"Beat me." Gray muttered. Lucy turned away, thinking she probably shouldn't have heard that. Erza was gorgeous and ultra femme, and other than her bossiness she saw nothing too bad about her. Perhaps that was a perk of getting close to someone; you got to see sides of them no one else did. 

The bus rattled around another corner that made Lucy temporarily fear for her life on public transportation. Just as it came, it went, and the bus came to a stop in front of the courtyard. People began to eagerly file off, but Lucy waited until the crowd died down. She was glad to see Gray had the same idea. 

"What class?" Gray asked, sticking his hands into his pockets. 

Lucy stood up and nervously fiddled with her mittens. "Classic Literature." She said plainly. 

Gray whistled as if that class was just as outrageous as the "Watching Grass Grow" class. She smiled at him softly as they walked off the bus. He even went first. Not waiting for her wasn't very gentleman-like, but it the lack of chivalry made her feel more at ease. He didn't seem like one to go out of his way for anything, so Lucy didn't want him too. 

"I'll see you later in Statistics, then." Gray nodded. He pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket and pulled one out again. For someone who smoked so much, he didn't smell of it. Probably because he never wore clothes for the scent to attach to. 

Lucy nodded as well, giving him a curt wave before he sparked up and started walking away. "See you in Statistics."

There were no awkward goodbyes or glances over the shoulder. If this was what basic friendship was, Lucy could easily warm up to the idea. 

∞

Halfway into her Classical Literature class, when she and about a dozen others were roaming the school library looking for a book to write an essay on, it dawned on Lucy that today she would actually have mail. 

It was a week ago, but she remembered the timestamp on her receipt clearly. After meeting Natsu for the first time, she was too wound up to sit still. It wasn't until the next day that she had actually gone through with the act of ordering something online in the hopes that their daily mail encounters would mean something. 

Come to think of it, Lucy hadn't seen him there lately. She no longer stopped at her mailbox, but each day that she passed it, there was only a stranger or no one. Maybe Natsu was avoiding her. She couldn't blame him.

Lucy tucked her book under her arm after checking it out. The same blue haired girl with the ribbons in her hair was working in the library. If Lucy wasn't so afraid of working in a dirty public place, she may actually have wanted to get a job there. Maybe her and the blue haired bookworm could be friends. 

After all, Natsu was screwing up her introverted world as it was; there was no harm in taking her own initiative. But that would have to wait. Lucy held onto her book, making way through the courtyard once her classes were over and walking home. 

It was a bit warmer now, so she was thankful she didn't have to wait for the bus again. It was still chilly enough for her breath to come out in visible puffs, though. Lucy eagerly pushed open the doors to her complex and headed for her mailbox.

There he was. Natsu was standing there, his head down to look at the mail in his hands as he sorted through it. Lucy pulled out her phone, checking the timing on it. 

She was early. Her class had gotten out early after they checked out their books, and now she was the one to screw things up. Natsu was ignoring her on purpose. She tried not to be upset--mostly at herself--as she put her phone away and drew out her mail keys. 

Natsu's head of pink hair was still for a moment before realizing he was actually face to face with her again. He stopped moving; his hands stopped shuffling the mail around, his shoulders stopped gently rising and falling with his breaths. 

He finally looked at her. Lucy could feel the intense burning of his stare as his eyes looked her over. She bit her lip, focusing on everything else except him as she drew out the package from her mailbox. Why didn't she just leave it? Why didn't she just come back for it later?

"Lucy."

Natsu's hand pressed against the door of his mailbox, slamming the metal slate shut into place. The loud thud made her jump suddenly. Lucy wet her lips with her tongue nervously before turning her head to him. "Hey."

Hey. After all she put him through, a "hey" was all she could manage. She wanted to kick herself. 

Natsu jaw tensed up angrily, his chest tight as he took a few deep breaths. His eyes narrowed at her and his hand turned into a fist, still pushed up against the mailbox. "We need to talk."

∞

Lucy knew the two of them being back in her apartment was not a good idea. And yet they stood there in the middle of her living room, staring at each other like idiots. 

"What happened?" Natsu asked blatantly. 

Lucy looked up at him, her brown eyes staring at him with a curious emptiness. "You kissed me without permission."

Natsu's jaw clenched again as if it pained him to hear that. "Without permission? Lucy, every time I see you, this happens."

This? Natsu could read the confusion on her face and continued. 

"This." He gestured between the two of them, taking small and slow steps forward. Lucy took a step back each time he did so. "Every time I see you--and I don't know why for fuck's sake--I just have this feeling." His words were strangled, like he wanted to say something but couldn't quite get it out correctly. 

"Whenever you say you don't want me, that you don't like being in a relationship, I don't care." Natsu shook his head. That was when Lucy knew that he didn't understand her, and he wouldn't anytime soon. He kept stepping forward anyway. "I like you, Lucy. I don't know why, and I know you don't like me, but I do."

Lucy's back hit the wall as she took another step back. Her hands slid over the wall, grabbing at it as if it could be her escape out. He did that thing again, his possessive way to trap her by placing his hand beside her head. 

Natsu leaned down, his face close enough to hers that she could feel his breath sticking to her skin. It was different that before; today, he seemed more intimidating, like he needed something that we wasn't going to leave without. 

"Lucy," Natsu breathed heavily, his eyes staring down into hers with a gaze so fierce her knees grew weak, "I need you."

∞


	8. chapter » seven

"I need you."

The words seemed to hang in the air. Lucy wasn't sure what to say. Her lips didn't part, her mouth didn't dare to open up and speak any words. 

"I know you're going to hate me." Natsu said quietly, his voice heavy and husky. 

He deserved an applause for dealing with her attitude. Lucy's hands fumbled nervously at her sides, her eyes darting everywhere to avoid looking into his. "That's not true." She replied in a hushed voice. 

Natsu didn't do anything, mainly because they both knew it was a lie. She was a time bomb counting down to the seconds in which she lashed out at him again. If there was anyone to hate, it would be herself.

Pressing his forehead to hers, Natsu's hands wrapped around her waist. Her body went rigid as stone, as if tensing up would make the uncomfortable sensation go away. She just sucked in a deep breath, inhaling some of his scent. 

Her breath caught slightly, her chest shaking minutely as she stared at Natsu's chest. His stiff shoulders were moving steadily. How could he be so calm? Natsu's head tilted slowly, his nose brushing against hers. 

Just the simple gesture made Lucy squeeze her eyes shut. As Natsu breathed out his exhales, the rush of air made her lick her lips. His hands dodged under the hem of her jacket, fingertips ghosting over her skin. 

After everything she had done to him, he was waiting for her. His hands greedily clung to her body, his face just shy of making her his, yet he held himself back as she kept her eyes shut. If there was darkness around her, perhaps she would truly be alone when she opened her eyes. 

The brown color flooded out as they peeked open. He was still standing before her, unwavering in his stance. Lucy wished he would go away, to finally be alone like she always wanted. What I want isn't what I need.

Those words sang in her head, and the claustrophobic feeling around her tightened. Her breath was shallow, her body rigid and trembling, but she picked her head up and let that awful feeling take over. 

Lucy pressed her lips against Natsu's, ignoring the sudden inhale of breath she had cut him off from. The lack of air was uncomfortable, as was simply being so close. She didn't want to, but she needed to feel that constriction inside her. 

As soon as her mouth latched onto his, Natsu's arms shot out and wrapped around her like snake coiling prey. His arms were unbelievably strong--or she was unbelievably weak--as he held her body up against his. 

Without his embrace enveloping her, Lucy's knees would given out under her as his tongue licked at her lips. The warm saliva traced her mouth, soft skin melting against her own. The warmth seeped into her mouth until she felt her palms clam with sweat. 

"Natsu-" Lucy began, but her voice broke out as Natsu pressed his open mouth against hers. His eyes were closed, and he seemed as if he were squeezing them shut just as tight as she had been. 

"Do you hate me?" Natsu asked bluntly, his jaw locked together defiantly as he pulled away from her. His arms were latched around her body, palms pressed flat against her back. 

Shaking her head, Lucy couldn't help but suck in a few ragged breaths as her mouth was left open in awe. She could no longer tell if she was standing or falling or if he was carrying her. Her mind was hazy, her body aching too much to tell what was up and what was down. 

"Then shut up and let me kiss you." Natsu breathed out. His lips roughly fell back onto hers, his mouth sucking on her lips.

Her lips felt swollen, her mouth left hot as he continued his mission. For him, it was completely physical. It was an affinity between them, a sudden outreach to someone he found so stunning he couldn't keep his hands off. What was it for her then?

Lucy's hands raised up, balling into fists as they grabbed onto the lapels of his jacket. The fabric gave way under her touch as she drew Natsu closer to her.

She felt Natsu's jaw tighten again, his teeth gently biting down on her lip as she pulled him closer. He took a step forward, pushing Lucy back against the wall. She let out a squeak of surprise from the impact, only to have her voice cut off by another attack of his kisses. 

Natsu's hands planted on her hips. His fingers dug into them as he pinned her back against the wall. Her waist began to ache, feeling the pressure of his hands begin to bruise her body. Maybe she was being oversensitive. 

Lucy's grip on his jacket lessened. He kept his mouth on hers, however, unrelenting to her. His teeth opened out and caught her lip, tugging it in his grasp. She furrowed her brows, attempting to turn her head away from him as his teeth clenched onto her lip. 

"Ow-" Lucy murmured. Her fists opened up, pressing against his chest to push him away instead. "Natsu."

Natsu's grip on her waist only became tighter. His fingers curled over her hipbones, her back uncomfortably pressed against the wall. Her brow furrowed in aggravation as she pushed against his chest again. "Natsu!"

His eyes widened, his teeth pulling away from her lip as she pushed him away. He took a step back, his hands immediately retreating from her body and to his sides. Lucy let out a small whine, bringing her hand to her lip to rub away the sore feeling. She was surprised there hadn't been blood. 

Running his hands through his hair, Natsu's throat bobbed visibly as he swallowed a lump in it. "I'm sorry." He said quickly. Even now his voice was still clear and confident. 

That's okay. Lucy wanted to say it. She pressed her lips together, rubbing until the dull ache went away. Her hands tugged the hem of her shirt back down over her waist. 

When she didn't say anything, Natsu's eyes quickly glanced at the floor and then back up. "I'll see you later around campus then? Maybe we can meet Erza somewhere for lunch tomorrow."

Just as quickly as he had stormed in and taken her for himself, he was back to his cheerful self. Lucy wasn't sure whether or not to be worried by his sudden changes in attitude; her outbreaks were one thing, but she was that way all the time. He was unpredictable. 

Nodding, Lucy crossed her arms over her chest. She hadn't realized how much she was shaking until she forced herself to stop. "Erza told me about a few good places around here. It'd be nice to go to one." 

And the lies spilled out. Natsu adjusted his coat, running his fingers through his hair again as he backed up. He walked to her door, facing her the entire time. With each step he took away, she took one closer. 

Natsu finally backed up against the door, his hand fumbling at his side for the knob. Once he found it, he turned it, and, opening the door a crack, said, "I'll see you later."

Lucy stood before him, her arms still crossed as a makeshift way to protect herself. She nodded, forcing a weak smile up at Natsu as he slipped through the crack in the door. 

Still facing her, Natsu reached his hand out and gently slid it over the side of her face. Her cheek radiated with warmth from his touch. Natsu leaned in once again, bringing his lips in to hers. 

Lucy flinched slightly, her eyes closing as she felt his mouth against hers. His lips gently touched hers, a small gesture of attention that was nothing more than a simple peck. Natsu drew away after only a second, his hand slipping away from her. 

"Bye, Luce." Natsu smiled warmly, such a radiant smile that took up half his face. She couldn't take her eyes off of it until he turned his back to her and walked away. 

She was silent as she pushed the door closed, pushing so gently that it barely made a sound. Her fingers shakily bolting the door to lock it. 

Lucy turned around, her back leaning against the door. Her weak legs gave out until she slowly slid down onto the floor, her hands behind her back. Her eyes stared at the carpet, counting each thread to distract herself from the dull ache on her mouth and hips.

 

∞

Erza's directions to the grill house was oddly descriptive. Somewhere around ten in the morning, when Lucy was still stuck in the lecture hall, she received an email from Erza telling her where she planned for them to have lunch. 

Lucy couldn't help but admire Natsu's persistence. It was annoying, and it hurt--it more than one way--but he still took it upon himself to make sure he could see her again. 

One class got out, Lucy dumped her belongings into her bag and headed for the door. Someone behind her ran down the isle and bumped her, her bag flying from her shoulder. 

"Sorry!" A white haired boy called out, stumbling back to his feet after knocking into Lucy. She thought his name was Lyon, but couldn't remember. Instead of helping her, he picked himself up and ran for the door. 

Huffing, Lucy crouched down to gather the items fallen from her bag. Once the papers were caught up in a pile, her face paled to see the strap on her bag broken. She buried her face into her hand, rubbing her eyes before shoving everything back in. 

There were footsteps at her side, and before she could look up to see who it was, they said, "The people here can be so rude." 

His smile was coy, orange hair falling over his eyes. His hands were in his pockets, but he drew one out to push up his thin glasses. His other hand drew out to offer Lucy assistance. 

She smiled softly, grabbing her bag in her hand and placing her free one in his. "Tell me about it." She replied. 

The orange haired man chuckled softly. Without warning, his hands gently grabbed onto her bicep as they began walking outside. She wasn't sure if he was protective or possessive. "Where are you off to?"

Lucy looked over at him as they made their way outside. Everything someone came close to bumping into her again, he gave her a soft nudge towards him. Lucy's face was slightly red as she told him, "Lunch. I'm meeting a few friends."

They stopped walking when they got to the curb. A few cars rushed by, and the man raised his arm up to hail a cab. "Are you going downtown? The busses around here are awful, so maybe we could share a cab?"

A sigh of relief fluttered in Lucy's chest just from the fact that she had meant yet another person with a contempt for public transport. It wasn't in her best interest, but the man had a cab already pulled up to the curb before she could protest. "Sure."

Lucy slid into the seat, the orange haired man following soon after. He leaned forward and told the driver instructions towards downtown. He sat back, looking at Lucy carefully as she sat with her broken bag over her lap. 

The ride was oddly silent. She had seen him in class, knew him as the one who was a bit of a smart mouth and way-too-easily distracted during lectures. She expected him to strike up conversation, but he didn't.

He paid the cab alone, not bothering to ask Lucy to split the bill. She opened her mouth to ask if he wanted her to repay him, but he just opened his door and got out of the cab before the words even came out. 

Sighing, Lucy wrapped the strap of her bag around her arm. Her hand went to open the door, but the man on the other side already opened it for her. He smiled softly, green eyes watching her under a clump of orange locks as she stepped out. 

"Thank you." Lucy said, looking up and down the street for the restaurant Erza instructed her to go to. 

The orange haired man still walked by her side as they went down the street. Lucy wondered if he actually had some place to be, or if this was his excuse to talk to her outside of class. 

They rounded the corner, and Lucy tilted her head up at the man beside her. Following her made her a bit uncomfortable, and she took the quickest chance she had to get away. "Well, this is where--"

"Lucy!"

Luckily for her, she wouldn't have to make an excuse and hope for the best. There was Erza, waiting outside the restaurant with Natsu, her hand in the air to wave her over. The pink haired boy was too busy looking inside the window at the food. 

"Erza!" Lucy smiled softly. She walked quickly--mostly to leave the orange haired man's side--and hurried over to her redheaded friend. "I'm glad I found the place so quickly."

Erza nodded in agreement. "Same. Let's--" Her voice cut off as she looked behind Lucy at the orange haired man. "What's he doing here?"

That question was apparently enough to snap Natsu out of his hungry daydream and turn his attention to them as well. His coal colored eyes widened before narrowing to unamused slits. He hadn't even looked at Lucy. 

"Natsu." The orange haired man smiled charmingly, rocking side to side on his heels in an optimistic way that didn't reflect the mood of either of Lucy's friends. 

Natsu growled bitterly. "Loke." 

Lucy felt Erza's hand grab onto her wrist painfully tight. The redhead dragged her away from the other boys, immediately turning away and pulling Lucy along with her. "We're leaving."

The blonde's eyes widened. She looked over her shoulder, then back at Erza, as she was too weak to pry away. "But Natsu--"

Erza shook her head. "Don't bother, it's not worth it." Erza huffed. "You don't need to get caught up in it." 

Lucy's gaping mouth formed a questionable O before Erza turned down another corner and Natsu and Loke were out of sight. Erza wasn't one to back out of a fight, but whatever happened between Natsu and Loke clearly couldn't be good. 

Erza kept walking, her grip on Lucy's wrist unceasing until Natsu and Loke were out of sight, but surely not out of mind.

 

∞


	9. chapter » eight

Lucy's eyes watched the sidewalk beneath her feet move past her like a screen as they walked. Erza seemed much more calm now--though she always had the collected aura about her--and finally removed her hand from Lucy's wrist.

"What was that back there?" Lucy said after a moment of pointless walking. Lucy noticed the street sign at the corner. They had walked three blocks already.

Erza's regal face was dead set into a blank expression, her gaze settled somewhere in front of them. "Just an old grudge. Nothing to worry about it."

If Lucy had the guts, she would have scoffed right in Erza's face. "It seemed pretty serious."

The redhead looked at Lucy, her eyes filled with a bored stare as if to tell her ' _gee, I hadn't noticed._ ' Sighing, Erza smoothed her hair back and shrugged. "It's pointless. How do you know Loke anyway?"

 _Loke._ "He's in one of my lectures." She said simply.

Erza stopped walking when they reached the curb, standing before a stop sign as if wondering if she wanted to keep walking away or if she had enough. "Are you friends?"

"Well, I don't really know--" Lucy began.

"Then what _is_ you're relationship exactly? Just kids who stare at each other in class?" Erza cut her off to add her own snarky question.

He would stare at her, but not the other way around. "I hadn't really talked to him before. I dropped my things in class, and Loke offered..."

Lucy trailed off, her chocolate colored eyes falling down to stare at her hand. _He offered to help_. Her hand didn't hurt where she touched him, hadn't felt any awful tingling up her arm. She hadn't even noticed.

It was either the work of Natsu or the work of Loke. It didn't matter; the hairs on the back of her neck stood up uncomfortably. Suddenly she wished Erza would walk with her for another three blocks.

Erza noticed Lucy's silence and took it as reason to speak up. "We don't really get along with Loke."

Finally, Lucy tore her gaze from her hand and towards the red head. "We?"

Looking at Lucy without turning her head, Erza nodded. "Me. Natsu." She said simply. "Gray."

"Even Gray?" Lucy asked quietly. Why that was a surprise, she wasn't sure. He didn't seem to like people in general.

"Look, it's really not my story to tell." Erza sighed heavily, and as the street light turned red she started walking through the cross walk. Lucy quickly jogged behind. "I was just along for the ride."

Erza's head was still held resiliently high as they kept walking. She was effortless in most the things she did, and clearly she was smart. Why would someone so captivating just be a kid on the sidelines?

That was when Lucy realized that no matter how close you were to some, there would always be something to keep you apart.

∞

It was safe to say that Lucy spent the next day hidden in the library during class breaks. She had learned that things seemed to go more smoothly when she wasn't around to mess anything up.

Another day and another book down. Lucy closed the paperback with a dramatic clap and stood up from her seat on the floor. She grabbed her coat--which she had used as a seat--and slipped it back on over her shoulders as she slid the book into place.

Yesterday had been eventful to say the least. Remembering the shallow look of irritation in Loke's eyes made her shiver. Natsu's grotty voice had turned to the animalistic side in him yet again. It was ridiculous how quickly people could act differently around other people.

After a curt nod to the blue-haired librarian, Lucy walked outside. Things were normal so far; the blonde listening to music much too loud under the tree was still there, and the normal shirtless man sat on top of a picnic table, hunched over as if he was waiting for something.

A few seconds went by before Gray picked up his head and sought out Lucy staring at him from the doorstep of the library. She could see him sigh as he waved her over.

Lucy shouldered her bag closer to her, a hand on the knot to make sure it didn't break again. With each step she took, Lucy couldn't help but grow worried. Gray's chest was slightly pink with irritated scratches and scrapes, and the side of his face was blue with a fresh bruise.

"Christ, Gray." Lucy squeaked out as she stood in front of him, leaning over the bench of the picnic table to take a closer look. "What happened?"

Gray looked down at the grass. His elbows rested on his knees, wobbling slightly out of restlessness. "I'm fine, it was barely a punch." His voice was sharp. "Don't worry 'bout it."

Lucy pouted slightly out of worry. Her teeth nibbled at the side of her cheek. The curiosity had gnawed at her until she finally asked, "Is this about Loke? Did Natsu drag you into it yesterday?"

Gray's head shot up as if he heard a gunshot. His royal blue eyes widened in shock, or horror, or both--Lucy couldn't quite tell. "How do you know about Loke?"

Right away she knew she shouldn't have said it. "I-I don't really. No one would tell me anything." As she said that, Gray had seemed to eased up. "He and Natsu met yesterday, and Erza pulled me away before anything could happen."

The raven haired man smiled weakly as if to say a silent ' _thank you_ ' to Erza. "Sorry you had to see that."

Lucy shook her head. She opened her mouth to admit it was mostly her fault, but some things were better left unsaid. "What happened then? You know, to your face."

Gray laughed quietly and shook his head. "My beauty was temporarily impaired by a swell guy named Lyon. He really has it out for me."

The blonde furrowed her brows together, her hand subconsciously tightening around the strap on her bag. "White hair? Really weirdly formal for a college kid?"

Picking up his head once again, Gray nodded. "Yeah. You know him?"

Lucy shook her head. "We just have a class together." Suddenly that phrase was seeming to cause her a bit of trouble lately.

The man before her just sighed. "You remember that barista from the café?" Gray asked.

"The one swooning over the counter for you? I think I remember."

Gray smirked from the side of his mouth at her witty reply before he kept talking. "He's got a thing for Juvia. And Juvia has a thing for me, so naturally--"

"--he has to show off." Lucy finished for him. Gray nodded his head, and she swore she saw his face flushed with a rose tint.

Lucy smiled coyly and nudged his leg with her hand gently. "You sure you don't like her?" She asked, her voice unusually light and teasing. She was thankful to have Gray; someone she didn't mind being open around.

Gray tensed up before swatting her hand away and scowling. "No." He growled.

Lucy quickly drew her hand into her chest, letting it ball up into a fist and tighten around the fabric of her coat. She opened her mouth to apologize, but Gray cut her off. "Sorry. I just don't think you'd understand."

Lucy was unsure whether to pity him or pity herself. She shook the thought away, trying not to sulk like a child, and instead she looked at him sadly. "Try me."

Gray looked up at her with a distant expression. His eyes narrowed, studying her before shaking his head. "You don't. It's a little different than you and Natsu." He murmured, his nose slightly turned up in disgust. "Probably a lot different. What's up with you guys anyway?"

She hadn't even been talking about Natsu; she was talking about what came before him. Her heart automatically wrenched at the idea of Gray going through something as awful as she had, and she felt guilty for feeling a slight relief that she wasn't alone for a moment.

But that faded, and Lucy remembered that her past was meaningless, especially to Gray. Shoving the memories into the back of her mind, Lucy stared at Gray solemnly. "I'm not sure."

Gray gave her an obviously stupid look and asked "Why not?" as if it were the easiest question in the world.

Lucy just shuffled her feet. "He's--different sometimes. He gets really emotional." Gray raised a brow at the last word, and Lucy rolled her eyes before saying, "I mean he gets aggressive."

The raven haired man just laughed. "Natsu's pretty rash, but he wouldn't hurt anyone. Definitely not you. Mavis, the way he talks to Erza about you." Gray rolled his eyes. "I doubt that's aggression. Natsu is rarely ever mad."

Maybe it wasn't anger driving him to be that way. Lucy tightened her jaw and looked down as her boot pushed around a rock. "He was mad at Loke."

Gray sighed again. "Drop it Lucy." His voice was clearly angry, but he had a strain to it that suggested he was almost tired, like he thought about it way too much. "It's none of your business."

Lucy's hand clenched around her bag. "And Natsu and I are none of yours." She retorted, turning on her heel. The foliage crinkled beneath her as she walked away.

A part of her way waiting for his voice to apologize and call her back. She wanted to at least look over her shoulder and see the dismal look of sadness on his face. Of course, when she did, she got neither.

Lucy kept walking, wondering why she ever expected someone to care enough to call her back instead of letting her walk away. They never did, and they never will.

∞

Lucy had read Natsu's text multiple times. He had told her to be home on the hour, that he would be waiting at her apartment. Natsu had invited Lucy to her own house instead of going to his. And they lived in the same building.

Natsu's mind never ceased to intrigue her.

Lucy's keys rattled around her finger as she walked, swinging them back and forth. Alas, there was Natsu, his back pressed against her front door as she stepped off the elevator and walked down the hall.

Luckily, he wasn't as bad as Gray. He barely had a scratch on him, though Natsu looked like he needed a few hours of sleep and a lot of food. Somehow, she saw him happily accepting both of those on her behalf.

"Hi." Her voice was quiet, but she managed a small smile.

Natsu barely moved; he shifted to the side so she could unlock the door, nothing else. He replied with a smile twice as weary. "Hey."

Lucy opened her door, and Natsu caught himself before he could fall backwards. They walked inside, silently taking in the appearance of her home which he had seen few times before. He still walked around like he'd never been there.

"What happened yesterday?" Lucy asked as soon as she shut the door. She wiggled off her coat and stuck it on the rack as she pulled off her boots.

The pink haired boy just shrugged. "Long story."

"I have all night." Lucy said quickly. "I'll even make tea."

Her comment didn't seem to amuse him as easily as it would have Gray. Natsu just shook his head and looked tiredly at the ground. "I'll give you answers if you give me answers." He suggested slowly.

Lucy furrowed her brow. "What?"

Natsu huffed impatiently. "I really hope this is as annoying for you as it is for me, or else this would be really embarrassing, but we clearly want to know more about each other. This is only fair."

He leaned back, sitting on the backrest of Lucy's couch. She crossed her arms over her chest to keep them from shaking. "I guess." She said quietly.

Natsu nodded, waiting for her to keep going. She looked at her feet for a moment before darting back up to him. "What happened between you and Loke?"

Once again, he sighed. His hand rose up to rub the back of his neck. "It's a long story." Natsu muttered huskily. "Why won't you let me touch you?"

It came across more direct than he hoped, but Lucy didn't seem phased. It was quiet throughout the apartment before Lucy shook her head and walked into the kitchen. "I better make tea. It's a long story."


	10. chapter » nine

The cup of tea was so hot it kept burning Lucy's hand as she held it. Natsu wasn't drinking, though. Maybe he just didn't like tea.

The blonde sat on the couch, curled into the corner of the sofa with her knee to her chest. The other man, however, sat on the edge of a recliner as if he was too tense to relax. Lucy couldn't blame him.

"I asked you first." Lucy said. It may not have been fair, considering all she had put him through, but hearing his story was most likely going to make hers easier to tell.

Natsu nodded slowly. His mug of tea sat on the coffee table between them, steam pouring up into the air. "Alright." He shrugged, looking across the room at Lucy.

Just that one look made her skin tingle. She shifted in her seat as he started speaking. "You want to know about Loke?"

Lucy nodded.

"We--well, Gray and me--we met Loke when we were in grade school. Like first or second or something." Natsu's sad eyes said that he knew a more exact date when they met, but Lucy didn't want to interrupt. The date wasn't important.

"Loke was a new kid at our school, and a lot of people liked him. Me and Gray always got along, since he was the quiet and angry one and I was bouncing off the walls." Natsu smiled softly, and Lucy couldn't help but mimic. "Gray thought Loke was pretty cool, and they ended up hanging out more often.

"It was a few years later when Gray got really distant. He and Loke did everything together. One day, I just stopped hearing from either of them. Loke was at school but wouldn't talk to me, and Gray took a month off."

Natsu's feet shuffled over the floor like he was trying to distract himself. "I saw Gray a week after, and he looked awful. He was tired, and he had gotten into a few fights, at least. He wouldn't talk to me about it. When he finally came back to school, he wouldn't even look at me or Loke.

"Loke and Gray got into a fight during our ninth year. We just started high school, and it was barely a week into the start of school when teachers had to pull them off each other after fighting." He said, and his voice dropped as if he decided he was done talking.

Lucy shifted in her seat. The story had been more intriguing to her than she expected, and she almost hated the way she was so amused by their past. "And?"

Natsu just shrugged his shoulders lazily. "I don't know. I met Erza later that year. She was Gray's class mentor, keeping him out of trouble in stuff. Me and her were in a class together, and one day she stayed after school to help me with a project and Gray stayed along with her."

The blonde furrowed her brows as she didn't quite understand, but Natsu only mimicked her confusion. "Erza made friends with Gray, and after I made friends with her it was like the three of us just made some random pack together. I never asked Gray what happened."

Lucy wanted to believe she would have asked more if she were in Natsu's shoes; if she were him, she would have gone non-stop to get Gray to talk. But after so long of being alone, you learn to accept what you're given.

"Does Erza know, then?" Lucy asked. They story had dropped off on a cliffhanger, and she couldn't be more dissatisfied.

Natsu shook his head. "She might. She doesn't gossip, though, so I know better than to ask her for secrets. She's a vault." Natsu sighed. "Surrounded by a minefield."

Lucy laughed softly at the analogy, and Natsu smiled as well. He leaned back in his chair, staring at Lucy expectantly. "Your turn."

"Already?" Lucy asked, chuckling quietly.

The pink haired boy rolled his eyes and nodded. Lucy set her tea down on the table, rubbing her hands together nervously and picking at the threads of her sleeve cuff. Before she could say anything, Natsu got off his chair and walked beside her.

He sat down on the edge of the coffee table, right in front of Lucy. His closeness had her by surprise, but she wasn't going to complain. His obsidian eyes stared at her with a puppy-like look, and she turned her gaze back to her sleeve to avoid it.

"I don't like when people touch me. I never really have." Lucy murmured, but Natsu didn't let up. "I was engaged."

Natsu's eyes widened, and Lucy cringed a little knowing how stupid she must look in front of him. He realized his mistake and shook his head, gesturing for her to continue. "Sorry."

Lucy waved away his apology. "He's was my dad's co-worker. I was an only child, and both my parents were rich, so they had a lot of these business parties and mergers at our house. I was fourteen when I met him."

The pink haired boy went a little pale. "Fourteen?"

She ignored him again. Looking at his downcast eyes only made her more uncomfortable. "Every time my parents held these parties, he would--he would always look around for me. It was nothing at first, just making conversation. He kept getting closer each time."

Lucy's voice trailed off, and she paused to wipe at her eye before Natsu could say anything. "He came to three parties in a row and tried to kiss me. He always took me to where the crowd at thinned out, and we stayed there for a few minutes with him just holding onto me."

Her lip quivered, and she bit it to keep from trembling. "He wouldn't let go of me."

As soon as she said that, Natsu pushed himself off the coffee table and crouched down at her feet. He grabbed her hands in his, and the warmth made her palms begin to clam. His solemn expression made her eyes water. _Why does he have to care so much?_

Lucy swallowed down a sob to keep talking. "After that third party, I didn't go to them. I stayed upstairs in the maid's quarters to hide from him. But, a-all the maids were down stairs tending to the party, so he went upstairs and found me alone."

Natsu's hands tightened on hers, the last straw between her and hysteria. Lucy burst out into tears. "I never should have tried to hide."

She fell forward, and Natsu caught her in his arms. He wrapped them around her as she buried her face into the crook of his neck. Her tears were warm, her breath humid as she kept muttering those seven words over and over. 

Natsu crouched down in front of her as she cowered deeper into him. He was so gentle--like always--no matter when or where they were. His fiery touch made her spark when he was around. She didn't need to touch him, even; just being close was enough to feel the burn of his affection.

"I'm sorry, Luce." He cooed, but his jaw was clenched tight with anger. He moved his arms away from her and rubbed her calves in a minute loving gesture instead. "I'm so sorry."

Lucy closed her eyes, reveling in being so close to him. "He took pictures of me that day, when he-" her voice broke off as she didn't want to say it. "-and he threatened to show my family.

"He told me to marry him, or he'd show everybody them anyway." Lucy's hands clenched onto Natsu as she managed to stop crying. "When I told my family we were engaged--god, they hated me. He was an older man, and they thought I was such a tramp."

Lucy could feel Natsu's body going rigid underneath her, his hands along her legs still rubbing tenderly. "He left those photos in the maid's hall. They didn't find them until a few weeks later, but it didn't help. It didn't even look like rape. It just made me look like a tramp."

The tears burst from her eyes again. "My family hates me. I ran away as soon as I was old enough and enrolled in college here. They're still at home, Natsu. They're still sitting there thinking about how their little girl became a tramp--"

"Lucy," Natsu turned his face to her, his lips barely brushing over her ear and she kept her head buried into him. "You're here with me now. You're safe."

The blonde shook her head. Chocolate eyes shut so tightly that a few tears rolled out the edges, as they had no place left to go. They were kept inside so long it was impossible to detain then any longer. Streams of the water fell faintly down her round cheeks.

Natsu smiled sadly. That smile could set the ocean on fire. He leaned forward, pushing Lucy gently away and placing small kisses along her leg. She leaned back, and he felt them tense up at first, fearing pain rather than pleasure. He ran his hands up and down them as if she was just cold and he was trying to warm her up.

"Please don't be scared of me." Natsu pleaded softly, his lips brushing over her knees. Lucy cowered into the corner of the sofa as he wrapped his hands around her calves, gently pulling her legs into his chest.

Lucy sniffled quietly, crossing her arms over her chest protectively. "I'm not scared of you."

Deep set onyx eyes stared harmlessly up at her from between her legs, shining with a wet sadness that made Lucy start to cry even more. Those eyes weren't meant to hold such hurt. Natsu spoke lowly, his lips soft and steady as they formed trails over her body. "I'm not going to do that to you."

Lucy turned her head to the side, stifling a sound foreign to herself. Ever since she was a kid, she let no one touch her. And here she was, so grown up and so beautiful, shaking with fear as this man held her like she thought no one ever would.

"I'm scared of this." Lucy whispered, her voice breaking into something short of a moan as Natsu kissed the inside of her thighs. "I always will be, Natsu."

Natsu didn't look up at her; he kept going down further between her legs, stroking her thighs until he became dangerously close and backed away. She let out a small and muffled cry as Natsu squeezed her thigh.

"I know he hurt you. He just didn't love you." Natsu mumbled quietly. Each time he spoke, his fingers inched closer to the mound between her legs. Her body trembled.

More trails of tears rolled down Lucy's cheeks, realizing that every word he said was right. They hadn't loved her; no man could make the woman they love feel so much pain for so long. Natsu would be no different.

No matter how manny kisses he laid on her skin, no matter how many times he said he'd be there for her, he'd leave. They always did.

"They just didn't love you." Natsu repeated. His hand rose up to her waist, where his fingers threaded themselves through the belt loops on her pants and firmly tugged her body closer to his.

"They didn't love you, and I'm so sorry." Natsu whispered, his heartbeat staggering as his breathing became heavy. "But I love you."

Lucy stopped crying, the tears staining her cheeks. Her body relaxed little by little as Natsu crouched between her legs, pulling her to him with a protective desperation.

"And I'm going to make sure you fall in love with me."


	11. chapter » ten

Kissing Lucy right after she confessed her tragic life story was probably not the smartest thing to do, but since when did Natsu care about conventions?

Each time he squeezed her leg, each time his lips left a warm little mark on the fabric of her jeans that seeped through to her skin, Lucy just looked down at him and sniffled. He truly did have to worst timing, getting so close to her like this, yet as uncomfortable as it was, Lucy didn't want him to go.

"He was selfish, right?" Natsu asked. His face tilted up to look at her.

From that angle, Lucy was sure he had very few things in her life that were cuter, if any. His eyes were wide with a childlike curiosity, his lips parted in a manner that she knew meant he was breathing heavily. "What?"

Natsu swallowed, the lump visible in his throat as it went down. "That man. He didn't care about how you felt."

Lucy could've laughed had she the energy or the sense of humor. Right when she was about to ask, _are you joking?_ , Natsu's fingers pried at the button on her denim jeans.

"I don't wanna be like that, Luce..." Natsu's open mouth trailed off as if he wanted to say something else but couldn't find the right words.

Her cocoa eyes widened into saucers as he jeans came apart. Natsu's touch was warm, but he still gave her shivers as he pulled the edges of her jeans down. His eyes had a hungry yet unsatisfied glaze over them.

"I know he made you cry," Natsu said as he slipped his hands underneath her thighs, working his way up underneath her butt, "I don't wanna see you cry. At least, not like that."

Lucy's chest tightened as he felt one of his hands grab onto the flesh on her backside. He pushed her up a little as his other hand tugged down her pants. How was it possible for someone to be so forceful yet so gentle?

She couldn't just sit there; the blonde adjusted her hips ever so slightly, and the denim tucked in Natsu's fist came down from her waist and around her thighs as he pulled on it. She swore she saw the corners of his mouth tug upwards.

"I don't mind if you cry, Luce. Sometimes, I want to make you cry." Natsu admitted, his voice still strong and clear as ever. Her long legs tucked up into her chest as the pink haired boy pulled the jeans the rest of the way off them. The denim slumped to the floor as he let them go.

Lucy grit her teeth together. Just hearing him say that made it a little hard to breathe. Panic began to wash over her, but she couldn't stand to move.

"It's not how you think though, I promise." Natsu murmured. His fingers stroked over her lingerie in fascination. "When I say I want to make you cry..."

His voice trailed off again, his imagination getting too far ahead of him. Lucy squirmed under his touch as Natsu's fingers wrapped around the hem of her panties, pulling it gentle to the side. Cold hair hit her newly exposed flesh, making her shiver uncomfortably.

Natsu drew his hand away from her, discretely licking his tongue over them gently. "I mean it in the best possible way, Luce. I want you to feel so good you cry."

His fingers pressed up against her center, his already warm skin dampened with saliva. The blonde's silky legs tensed up on either side of Natsu. Neither of them were sure if that was good or bad, but Natsu was determined to find out.

Natsu's touch spread between her folds, brushing over the sensitive nub between her legs. Sparks shot throughout her body, and she hunched forward slightly out of reflex. The knuckle of her finger squeezed between her teeth to keep calm. "I want to hear you cry when you come, Luce."

Lucy could feel his breathing begin to pick up, the humid air from his mouth sticking on to her bare thighs. Her legs were shaky by now, but they laid on either side of Natsu in a manner that she hoped he wouldn't notice her trembling.

His thumb pressed against her clit as he drew invisible figures on her skin. He traced shapes along her body, maybe writing her own name down on her just to show how much he needed it. Lucy tried to focus on it, to feel what he was doing to her; it wasn't difficult.

"Hell, I want you to cry out my name." Natsu panted. An aching wetness began to seep between her legs. Natsu's fingers just slid between her folds, picking up the erotic liquids her body spilled. He traced back up along her mound to the bundle of nerves waiting for him.

As Natsu pet her center again, stroking her off little by little, Lucy let out a small yelp from the sharp pain in her thigh. She opened her eyes, and Natsu's teeth had sunk into the skin on her leg, his obsidian eyes still intent on watching him work on her.

He looked almost in pain, the family dog staring at the dinner table. His shoulders rose and fell heavily, his breath and saliva settling onto the skin of her thigh. She moaned a little louder, and he bit a little harder.

Lucy's teeth clamped down around her knuckle, her eyes squeezing shut tight again. Soon, the throbbing of Natsu's teeth on her skin felt like nothing more than an inch as the rest of his pleasuring took over. More love seeped out from Lucy's center as he stroked her.

Her hand reached out, wanting to plow through his fluffy hair and tangle themselves into the candy floss colored tufts, but before she could, she gripped on to the armrest instead. Her body surged forward, bliss erupting explosively from her center and coursing through her body.

Lucy's voice let out soft strangles of breath and moans, ones which she wasn't even sure she had heard from herself before. Her entire body shook, her legs tensing around him, arms trembling weakly. Her stomach ached liked she had just been laughing for hours.

Natsu's fingers still rubbed her gently, drawing out every last droplet of positive sensations he could muster from her before her orgasm died down. Lucy leaned back in her seat on the couch as the waves subsided, her chest moving rapidly.

Her heartbeat banged like a drum inside her, and it was so loud she couldn't focus on anything else until she opened her eyes. Natsu withdrew his hands from her, his tongue moving between his fingers to clean them off. His other hand readjusted her lingerie back on her properly.

Natsu stopped crouching and stood up. He was still staring at Lucy, but his face was red enough that she figured he probably realized that and finally looked away. The pink haired boy turned away from Lucy, grabbed a folded blanket from the back of the couch, and handed it to her.

The blonde immediately unfolded it and laid it over her bare legs. Her arms snuggled it to her chest, all the way up to her chin protectively as Lucy watched Natsu in awe. "What are you doing?"

He sighed inaudibly, but he grabbed his coat off the rack and shrugged it over his shoulders. "I think I need to go." Natsu replied with a cautious smile.

Lucy could feel her face begin to flush with embarrassment. "Why?"

Natsu's smile was so relaxing, it made her want to fall asleep and wake up every morning to the sight of it. "I don't want to be like him, Luce."

That was all he said. Lucy felt that same panic wash over her again. "Wait!"

The pink haired boy turned to her, his face still flushed hotly. "You said you wanted me to say your name." He nodded simply. "I-I never did, though."

Natsu looked away from her and pursed his lips as if thoroughly contemplating this. He smiled as they made eye contact again. "You will one day."

Natsu turned away and grabbed a single key from Lucy's basket beside the door and walked out. She could hear the click of the bolt as Natsu locked up behind him.

Then there was a small scuffing sound, and the spare key slid back to her from underneath the door.

∞

Lucy was almost ashamed for not moving from that sport for a few hours. She hadn't showered, she hadn't even changed her soiled clothes, and yet she fell asleep curled up on the couch.

The only thing that woke her up was the obnoxious and incessant ringing of her phone.

Slamming her hand on the coffee table, Lucy finally answered it to shut it up. "Hello?" She asked in a groggy state, still half asleep.

"Lucy? Oh, thank Mavis you answered." Erza's deep and powerful voice cooed from the other side. "I've called you, like, three times."

The blonde pulled her phone away from her ear a minute to check her screen. Sure enough, there were actually four missed calls. "Sorry, I was sleeping."

There was a momentary silence. "Were you in a coma?"

Lucy scoffed, and apparently Erza heard from the other end. She kept talking. "I need you to come to the hospital."

The blonde shot upright in her seat. Her bare legs were still a bit shaky, and she felt like she had vertigo from waking up so suddenly. "Erza, what's going on?"

"It's Gray, he got into another fight again." Erza only sounded mildly disappointed, like this was a natural thing.

Her tone made Lucy unsure if she should actually be worried then or not. "Is he alright?"

"He's fine."

"Then-"

"He won't talk to me." Erza said. Her voice was impatient, almost irritated. She clearly didn't like being left out. "Can you just come see him?"

Lucy would have felt guilty if she hadn't gone. Gray was one of the few people she had right now, and she couldn't afford to lose him just because she missed one of his many trips to the hospital.

With a soft sigh, Lucy pulled the blanket off of her and reached down to grab her jeans. "I'll be there soon."

The redhead made a hum of relief from the other side of the line. "Thank you, really. Oh! And Lucy?"

She paused a moment to see if Erza was going to continue on her own. "Yeah?"

"Pick up some yogurt and a bag of candy on your way. Preferably those spicy cinnamon candies."

Lucy furrowed her brows. "Are you--"

Erza hung up, and the line went dead. Lucy sighed.

"--serious."

∞

**_ Nalu Lemon Novel _ **   
_ Exy Koroleva © 2016 _   
_Thank you for reading._   
_Some triggering scenes_   
_to be included, so please_   
_do not report. Comments_   
_& votes are appreciated._

_THANK YOU FOR 40K_  
 _READS! (on wattpad)  
_ _OMG_ <3


	12. chapter » eleven

"I hate cinnamon."

"I know."

"Like, I'm practically allergic to it."

"I know."

"Why did you tell Lucy to bring it then?"

"Because you going into anaphylactic shock would be the least worrisome thing you've put me through all week." Erza said calmly.

The redhead settled back into her chair in Gray's hospital room as he sat on the bed rather impatiently. It was easy to tell he wanted to get up and leave, but the doctors nor Erza would let that happen.

Grabbing the yogurt from Lucy's hand, Erza snagged a plastic spoon from Gray's food tray and began eating.

"So I paid for your lunch and his torture?" Lucy asked, just to be clear. She still had the bag of Hot Tamales in her hand, and she was skeptical to give them to Gray.

Erza rolled her eyes. "He's not _actually_ allergic, he's just being a baby."

"I hate cinnamon, Erza." Gray scowled.

"And I hate you at the moment. We're even." Erza reprimanded him thoroughly before turning back to Lucy. "Thanks for coming."

Lucy just smiled wearily. She dropped the bag of spiced candy beside Gray's leg. It was obvious he was holding back from kicking it across the room.

Erza sighed quietly before standing up. Looking down at the phone in her hands, the redhead took a deep breath. "Well, I'll be going. I have plans." She said wanly. "Make sure Gray doesn't screw anything up again."

With that, Erza slipped her phone into her back pocket and walked out. Lucy wasn't sure if Erza had seemed sad, anxious, or something in between. Had Gray done that, or was it something else?

"Don't mind her, she's not good with goodbyes." Gray said mid-yawn. He stretched his bare arms out in front of him. "She really would stay, but she has a busy schedule. Like--" Gray was cut himself off as if he went against it.

"What for?" Lucy asked in intrigue. She fell back a few inches until she sat at the foot of Gray's hospital bed.

The raven haired man chuckled. "Not my place to tell you." _That sounds familiar._ "You didn't have to come, though."

Lucy furrowed her brows at him slightly. "Erza told me you wanted to see me. I can't exactly pass that up."

Gray's cocky smile faltered. "She said that?"

His sudden seriousness made Lucy clam up. Was she not supposed to say that? "Yeah. She said you weren't talking to her, and that it'd be easier to talk to me."

Gray's chest sunk into himself as his lungs deflated with a deep sigh. "She's pretty deductive, I guess."

Lucy faltered. "So you do want to talk to me?"

"It's not that simple." Gray rubbed his pale hands over his face as a sign of indefinite stress. "Erza and I are too close. You know how sometimes you're so close to people that you can't tell them everything? It's like you trust them too much?"

Lucy couldn't be more off base with him. "Yeah." She lied simply.

If Gray noticed her lies, then he didn't give any hints to it. "Erza's really smart. It's like she always knows what's going on without me having to tell her. I don't like that."

"And it's easier to confide in people that don't seem so perfect." Lucy finished for him.

She swore she saw the corners of Gray's lips tug upwards in a slight grin. "Erza's too perfect. I don't know what you've been through, but whatever it is, I know you deal with it still."

"Why do you say that?" By now she was asking just out of curiosity.

Gray shrugged nonchalantly, like this was now a breeze. "It's the way we carry ourselves. I don't know how Erza does it--I mean she's been through just as much as me yet she's so responsible it's like she's my mother."

They both laughed quietly, two sets of eyes looking at their own laps sadly instead of each other. "She's a lucky one." Gray nodded his head in agreement, and Lucy continued. "Still want to talk?"

Hesitating a moment, Gray just shook his head. "Not yet. If I can avoid it then I will."

Lucy swing anyway. "Does it deal with why you got beat up?"

Gray just chuckled again. "Yes. But it was for a good cause." Lucy raised a brow at him skeptically, and he said with an air of drama, "It was for love."

Somewhat teasingly and somewhat genuinely, Lucy made a surprised O shape with her mouth. "Tell me more, tell me more."

Gray scrunched up his nose in detest to hide his smile. "I'll tell you about my love life when you tell me about yours."

Lucy's stomach turned just thinking about it. Here in the fluorescent lights of the hospital room with her first friend in a long time didn't seen like the appropriate opportunity to discuss her and Natsu's earlier encounter. She just stuck out her hand. "Deal." 

His hand reached out and gingerly shook hers back. "Deal."

For a moment, things were alright. No worries of outside love lives, school yard bullies, or long lost friends. Just newfound company in friendly companionship.

"Can we leave now?" Gray asked quickly, his tone turning unamused.

The blonde laughed and stood up. She held out her hand, enjoying being able to help him instead of the other way around. I was refreshing to see Gray in more need than her. "Yes, ma'am."

Gray snorted as he got out of bed. He grunted softly from stiff joints and aching bruises, but grabbed on to her hand nonetheless.

"What do you say we find Natsu and give him those candies? He loves disgusting crap like that."

Lucy pressed her lips together as a smile took over her face. "I'm sure he does."

∞

Just as Gray had prompted and told Lucy many times, Natsu was doing absolutely nothing productive when they met up with him. This was actually the first time Lucy had seem his front door up close.

Her and Gray walked back to her apartment, figuring Natsu would be there. Lucy asked Gray to call him and be sure, but he denied by stubbornly.

Gray pounded on Natsu's door with his fist so loudly Lucy hit him on the shoulder to shut up. "What?" He hissed. Either he was stupid or oblivious; Lucy didn't care for either option.

There were standing outside for a minute or so impatiently before Natsu finally answered. He had a fluffy hand towel laid over his wet hair, the pink strands looking red while wet. He looked like he both just woke up from a nap and just got out of the shower.

"Dude, put a shirt on." Gray scoffed.

Natsu leaned against his half-open door, giving his friend an obviously stupid look. "Look who's talking, stripper."

Gray's face flushed so much that she didn't doubt he actually _was_ a stripper. Occupational too, not just hobbyist. Why else would he get so flustered?

Snatching the bag of red hot candies from Lucy, he shoved them into Natsu's chest. The pink haired boy immediately lit up with happiness. "Awesome, I love cinnamon."

Gray almost gagged. "Happy birthday."

"It's not my-"

"It's just a saying, don't comment on it." Gray sassed quickly.

Natsu was too happy to argue back. "Thanks." He looked at Lucy, as they came from her originally. "I take it you bought these?"

Lucy nodded proudly. "Recommended by your favorite redhead."

Raising his hand up to his head, Natsu fluffed his wet hair in the towel. "Thank Mavis for Erza. Why though?"

Both Gray and Lucy exchanged a clueless look. Rather than dwelling on their friend's odd shopping requests, Gray asked, "Can we come in or no?"

Natsu was silent a moment before slamming the door shut. "No."

Just like that, the vague smiling facade Gray put up had fallen into a very plain face. "I hate him."

Lucy turned her attention back to the door. She couldn't wonder what his apartment looked like: messy frat boy? oddly clean young man? There really was no knowing with him. Either way, she just expected it to be filthy.

Before she could reassure Gray not to break the door down, Natsu answered again, this time sans hair towel and plus t-shirt. "Are we going to just stand in my doorway all day?" He laughed to himself.

Gray furrowed his brows; Lucy wondered how close he was to exploding. "Where else would we go? We don't have plans."

Natsu nodded indefinitely. "Yeah, Erza called me before you came over. Invited me over for dinner."

Lucy couldn't help but fiddle with the zipper on her jacket. "She invited you, not the rest of us."

There was no way Lucy would feel comfortable hanging out with Erza without the woman's consent; she could snap Lucy's wrist in a heartbeat, and Lucy wouldn't chance that. However, Natsu just smiled and shut his door behind him, locking up.

"She likes you, don't worry. Beside, they always like having people over." Natsu turned to walk away, not waiting for them to follow.

"They?" Lucy looked at Gray with worry, but he just shook his head as if to say, ' _you'll see_.'

Lucy's stomach churned until it felt like a black hole. She was glad to have friends--people who dragged her out and forced her to try these new things--but right now she wanted to run back to her apartment.

Natsu looked over his shoulder at her, giving her that infamous carefree smile. "Never been to a dinner party before?" He laughed as he grabbed her forearm gently, making sure to avoid the bare skin on her hand.

Lucy sighed blankly. "Yeah. I have." She murmured.

Natsu's face paled. He looked away, but she was more than relieved when he didn't let go of her. When remembering those parties she attended as a child, she needed someone to just hold her.

Even if it was subtle, that's what he did.

∞

Prior arriving at Erza's apartment, Lucy began to wish she put on more deodorant. Her anxiety sweats were off the charts.

Gray and Natsu's casualness made her even more worried. Normally the calm atmosphere should comfort her, but she felt as if she wasn't quite meant to be there.

Climbing up to the second floor of the redhead's building, the two boys stopped in front of her door. Natsu knocked once before the door swung open like someone was waiting.

"Natsu!" A little girl jumped into Natsu's arms. With a grunt, he caught her and spun the toddler around a few times.

"Hey, squirt." Natsu ruffled her hair before she pushed past him and attached herself to Gray's leg.

"Emily!" A cold, masculine voice shouted from inside, but the girl didn't care. A blue haired man leaned against the door as he scolded Gray's new companion. "What did I say about opening the door for strangers?"

The girl scoffed. "It's Gray, daddy, not a stranger."

"She's a stranger." Natsu pointed to Lucy. Gray hissed and smacked away Natsu, giving him yet another glare. _Not helping_ , he seemed to say.

The blue haired man sighed and gave Lucy a weary smile. "Come on in, you guys." He stepped aside to let the three of them file in.

Lucy pretended not to notice his outstretched hand, instead looking around the apartment. "I always thought Erza lived alone."

Jellal laughed as if he heard that a lot. Before he could explain, Emily let out a shrill laugh as she ran across the apartment. Jumping into the arms of a tall redhead, Emily buried her face in Erza's hair.

Erza sighed. She gave Natsu a spiteful look, making Lucy wish she truly hadn't come. As if to say, ' _oh well, she's already here_ ,' Erza gave them a small smile.

"That's Jellal." She explained, her eyes looking at Jellal with a fondness that was undeniably love. "And this is my daughter, Emily."

Lucy glanced at Gray quickly enough to see his coy smirk. Without speaking, his words were obvious: _Surprise._

∞

**_ Nalu Lemon Novel _ **   
_ Exy Koroleva © 2016 _   
_Thank you for reading._   
_Some triggering scenes_   
_to be included, so please_   
_do not report. Comments_   
_& votes are appreciated._


	13. chapter » twelve

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a/n: some people have told me that i should stop advertising this book as a "lemon" novel because there isn't much smut in it yet, which has upset me. in case you didn't know, some kind of relationship must be built before the frick frack can happen. excuse me if your thirsty fangirl a** isn't enjoying a healthy build up. for those of you who are enjoying it, thank you, and more smut is coming (within this chapter?? huehue) soon xox

Emily's hair was the color of mud. Lucy wasn't exactly sure how that happened since her parents had the brightest hair on the spectrum, though it was clear that some red and blue had shown through, making it look like someone had thrown mud at the night sky. She certainly had her father's eyes--and his mischief.

"Emily, set the table, please." Erza told her daughter. The redhead moved back to the kitchen to grab a few dishes of food almost ready to be served.

With a small hum, Emily moved away from her mother and grabbed the plates in her arms. She was so small still--maybe three or four--the round dishes in her arms looked like alien saucers.

Emily maneuvered around the table, surprisingly coordinated for a toddler, Lucy thought. However her foot caught on the leg of the table, and Emily let out a small squeak as she toppled forward.

Bracing herself for the shattering of some dishes and a _very_ angry Erza, Lucy felt herself tense up in preparation. However, before Emily could fall over, Natsu crouched down and caught the little girl in his arms. The plates spilled over from her hands and into his.

Smiling softly, the pink hair boy said in a hush, "I think mom meant just hand out silverware maybe?" He suggested, and both he and Emily nodded their heads in agreement.

Now setting the table, Natsu dished out plates as the dark haired girl weaved between his legs--he wasn't exactly phased that she was running around his feet holding pointy forks. Lucy couldn't help but smile.

"Sometimes I think he's better with her than I am." Jellal grinned softly as he stood beside Lucy.

His sudden appearance made her look him over, only to feebly smile as well. Her arms across her chest, Lucy played with the cuffs of her sweater sleeves anxiously. "Yeah. He always seems to make people smile."

As if speaking too soon, Natsu accidentally knocked over a glass of water as he set down the last plate. Erza spun around like she was waiting for it, and immediately scolded him. Jellal and Lucy snickered under their breaths. "Most people, at least."

"Only Erza." Jellal confirmed. He walked away from Lucy, going back to his daughter and taking a seat at the table. For a moment, she thought she saw a faint flashing light, and her eyes were drawn to his ankle. A thick black device was attached to his leg.

Jellal was on house arrest? Maybe that would explain the two different apartments. But even with a child, it confused her. Lucy was able to pry her eyes away before they lingered short enough to be just shy of staring. Finally willing herself to move, Lucy took a seat at the table as well.

Natsu and Jellal each sat at a head of the table. Erza and her daughter on either side of Jellal, Lucy and Gray beside Natsu. Occasionally, Lucy would look down at her left and see Emily staring up at her, green eyes filled with childlike curiosity.

"I didn't know Natsu would be bringing company, or else I would have made more food." Erza attempted at conversation. Emily tried to grab a bowl of potatoes, but Jellal was able to take it from her before she spilled it everywhere.

Lucy just forced a smile and shook her head. "I didn't really mean to invite myself."

Erza huffed in agreement, narrowed eyes locked and glaring at Natsu. "Yeah, I know. Some people just have a habit of letting themselves in."

The pink haired boy looked down at his plate before shoveling food into his mouth. Apparently stuffing you face with food was a good way to avoid conversation.

"You're not eating, Lucy?" Jellal asked. His eyes looked blankly at her still empty plate before up at her.

The last thing Lucy wanted to do was seem rude. She was hungry--her growling stomach confirmed--but she could hardly remember the last time she ate food that wasn't hers. Despite the occasional coffee-to-go, she never had other food like this.

Her hands in her lap, Lucy felt her fingers twiddling with her sleeves. "I'm alright for now, thank you." She said, her smile feeble.

Erza said something, probably offering to make Lucy something else if she didn't like it or had allergies, but Lucy was too focused on the emptiness of her plate to listen. The fear of consuming something so foreign made her queasy.

Emily sneezed, causing Lucy to tense up and scoot slightly in her chair away from the little girl. That was when Natsu cleared his throat and said, "Lucy, can I talk to you?"

Jellal didn't pay them much attention. He and Gray were too busy silently eating to really care. Yet the whole time Lucy stood up and let Natsu lead her away down the hall, she could feel Erza's red eyes on her.

"What are you doing?" Natsu asked. His voice was low to keep quiet--something Lucy never expected he could do.

Lucy leaned against the wall, her arms folded behind her back. "What? I just don't want anything."

Natsu placed his hand beside her head. He leaned in to keep his voice audible but hushed. "I know this must be uncomfortable, but I made you come for a reason, Lucy. We want you here."

"I know. Thank you." Lucy murmured sincerely.

She could tell her quietness made Natsu grow impatient. "She's just a little kid. You don't have to be scared of her. You used to be a toddler once, too." He smiled softly.

Lucy could only imagine what vision he had of her as a kid. "I'm not scared of _her,_ Natsu. I scared of _this_."

Obviously, Natsu was much too dense for that. "Explain, please."

Lucy stared at him, both holding back a spark of aggravation. "I've never been here before. These aren't even my friends, they're yours. It's like I was just pulled out of my own world and dragged into yours because that's what _you_ wanted."

"And you're unhappy about that?" Natsu retorted. "If you weren't here, what would you be doing? Sitting alone, reading stories about life experiences instead of going out and making them for yourself?"

Frantically nodding her head, Lucy said, "Yeah, duh. I'd be safe, away from embarrassment from your friends who may not even like me and chances of getting sick, or hurt, or--"

Natsu groaned pathetically before pressing his lips up against hers. The hand by the side of her head curled into a fist, pushing against the drywall to release some stress. Lucy contemplated pushing him away, but knew it would be useless.

After a moment of waiting for her to submit or fight back, Natsu took that as a submission. His other hand rose up to rest on her hip, fingers ducking under her clothing and tracing along her flesh softly. Her hands wrapped around the fabric of his scarf.

"I'll take you home...and buy you a box Ramen or something." Natsu mumbled between kisses. "I don't know what's more boring and safe than that."

Lucy realize just how screwed up she was when those words made her melt into him as if he just presented her with a bouquet of roses. "I'd like that." She said softly.

Natsu nodded his head, the hand he placed on her hip moving forward to the small of her back. It dipped down softly, moving underneath the fabric of her jeans. Lucy's lips stopped moving as his hand roamed over the flesh of her ass, and he just grinned to himself.

"Why are you smiling?" Lucy asked worriedly. Usually, that was not a good thing. Her hands tightened around his scarf even more.

The pink haired boy just shook his head. "You just confuse me so damn much I don't know what else to do."

If that didn't sum it up, Lucy didn't know what else did. Hell, she confused herself. "I want to be closer to you." She admitted. Her hands let go of his scarf and trailed back down to her sides. "I just can't bring myself to do it."

Natsu pulled back his hand, rubbing it along the nape of his neck. "Yeah. Yeah, that's kinda ruining the majority of things here."

Lucy nodded. "Yeah."

"Yeah."

"Are we just going to keep saying 'yeah'?"

"Probably."

"You were supposed to say 'yeah.'"

"Oh. Yeah." Natsu said feebly. The smile had returned to both of their faces as he leaned back in for another kiss.

His other hand retreated from her body, but not before he could tug down the corner of her sweater and make sure she was fixed properly. She mouthed a 'thank you' to him, but Natsu just grabbed her hand and dragged her back out to the dining room.

They both took their seats, rejoining the rest of their makeshift family mid-conversation. Gray and Natsu seemed to have found a reason to fight over the last bread roll already. Turning to Emily, Lucy pointed and asked, "Pass me those potatoes?"

She could feel Natsu turn his attention away from Gray. His smile was so bright she could see it in the corner of her eye. She wondered if this made him proud.

Emily reached over and grabbed the bowl, balancing it awkwardly in her clumsy hands. She was about to drop it yet again, but Jellal's hand darted out and caught it. Reaching across his daughter, he gave it Lucy. She accepted it with a small laugh.

"Nice save, dad." Emily gave her father a cheesy smile, swinging her legs back and forth under her chair.

"I know, right?" Jellal said. He smiled back as he swiped some food off his daughter's plate.

Suddenly Lucy remembered her own childhood like Natsu said, and things didn't seem too bad. The innocence of youth had yet to disappear.

∞

By the time Natsu walked her home, Lucy was itching to ask about Jellal's ankle monitor and the two different homes. She refrained knowing it would probably lead to another "It's not my place to tell you."

Just as Natsu promised, they stopped by the convenience store on the way home. Natsu tossed the package of Ramen noodles back and forth in his hands as he kicked off his shoes. "Pots?"

"Bottom cabinet by the fridge." Lucy pointed into the kitchen. Her and Natsu parted ways, he disappearing to go cook for her and she going to curl up on the couch.

There was some questionably loud rattling as Natsu fished out a pot from the cupboards, but everything else sounded fine: the rushing of faucet water, the buzz of the stove as it turned on. At least Natsu could manage that much.

Laying her head back, Lucy closed her eyes tiredly. As much as she hated to admit it, today could be counted as a successful social encounter. All thanks to Natsu and his promise for high-sodium instant noodles.

Things had gotten quiet. Lucy was about to open her eyes and look back to check on Natsu, but she felt his lips press down on hers before she had the chance. He hovered over her from behind, his hands running along her shoulders and down her arms.

When she did open her eyes, all she saw was the smooth valley of his neck. He still smelled clean from his shower earlier. "Did you have fun today?" He asked.

Lucy shrugged. "Could've been better. There was this annoying boy who thought grabbing my butt would help calm me down."

Natsu scoffed, his lips still trailing over hers. "Damn, I really don't like you hanging out with Gray."

The blonde just laughed. Her hands rose up, hesitating wrapping around the back of his neck or not. She went against it, her hands falling to her shoulders. "As if Gray would be as daring as that."

"Yeah, you're right. I don't even think he likes girls." Natsu laughed in return.

Lucy shook her head at him. "Natsu?"

"Hmm?"

"I see steam in the kitchen. Turn the water down before my smoke alarms go off?"

Natsu didn't even say anything; his lips pressed firmly against hers again before running back into the kitchen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ∞
> 
> Nalu Lemon Novel  
> Exy Koroleva © 2016  
> Thank you for reading.  
> Some triggering scenes  
> to be included, so please  
> do not report. Comments  
> & votes are appreciated.
> 
> this chapter wasn't exactly  
> smut but there were spicy  
> moments. hehe i'm a troll.


	14. chapter » thirteen

If there was one thing Natsu could deliver on, it was subpar packaged noodles. If there were two things, it would be subpar packaged noodles and relentless flirting.

It was not even good enough to be classified as 'flirting' to Lucy. They sat together on the couch watching sitcoms on television, and occasionally Natsu would reach over and give her a comforting squeeze of her leg or his arm around her shoulders. He was so close, it was as if he skipped the flirt and went straight to the dating.

Lucy almost choked on her soup at the thought of them dating. They were such an odd couple: just two people that had never been on a date but somehow felt alright to bask in each other's company.

"You done?" Natsu asked. The blonde hummed softly as she snapped from her daydream, only to find Natsu gesturing to the empty bowl of ramen.

Nodding, Lucy wiped the corner of her mouth with her thumb. "Yes." She said, and Natsu took her dish and stood up already to take it away. "Bring me back a napkin, please."

He saluted her childishly before disappearing into the kitchen. Once he was gone, Lucy reached over onto the coffee table and pumped a small dot of hand sanitizer into her palm.

"You know I try not to get mad at you for bathing in that stuff," Natsu began, slightly startling Lucy as he jumped over the back of the couch and sat down again with napkin in hand, "but it's hard to ignore when all I can smell is 'japanese cherry blossoms' and alcohol."

Lucy was about to apologize before she realized that it would have been ingenuine. "I like the smell." She said quietly in her defense.

The pink haired boy only chuckled as he wrapped his arm around her. "Sure you do." His head nodded slowly as he leaned into her.

Still rubbing her palms together, Lucy's chest ached with the tightness of Natsu's intimacy. She begged herself not to care about it, and for a moment her eyes stared at his lips and she thought she had won.

As if realizing her affliction, Natsu leaned down the rest of the way and pressed his lips against hers. He smelled oddly like cinnamon--no, like autumn. It was a fine season to get lost in. The colors were her favorite.

Lucy waited a moment, their lips meshing together softly, before she gingerly raised up her hands and slid them around the nape of the other boy's neck.

She swore she felt Natsu's lips curl up into a smile as she did so. The small gesture she made drove him further; Natsu grabbed Lucy and turned her more towards him. She let out a subtle breath of air as Natsu settled his body between her legs, her head laying on the armrest of the sofa.

Natsu's hand slid along the edge of her thigh. His fingertips were warm even through the fabric of her jeans. She needed more--not to feel his hands on her, but for her to feel him. He was so familiar with her body, more than even herself, but he had yet to be mapped.

Lucy's fingertips ran along his neck, falling down to the slope of his shoulders. From there her touch slid along the safe base of his checkered scarf to the curve of his biceps. Natsu's body tensed at the surreal sensation of her reciprocating the attention.

Moments passed with nothing more than hungry bites to each other's now swollen lips before the blonde mustered the courage to let her hands wander.

It doesn't matter, Lucy chanted it to herself as her ran her palms along the solid contours of Natsu's chest. His stomach called to her, and she fell down to touch there as well. You need him, Lucy.

When her hands finally found the edge of his waist, Natsu finally stopped. His entire body went slack and Lucy's lip was stuck between his teeth. His breath was soft as he said, "Are you sure?"

It was a stupid question, but they both knew the answer. "No." Lucy answered with a simple shake of her head. "I want to, though."

Natsu tilted his head up, lips pressing firmly against her forehead. "I know." He hummed warmly, his arms planted on either side of her as if to protect her from some nonexistent force.

Even so, both parties were left unsatisfied. Lucy had no intention nor desire to go all the way, but her inclination to be with him still stayed in her mind. Lucy fingers the edge of Natsu's waistband, and the button of his pants opened beneath her touch.

Her actions like a trigger, Natsu surged forward again. His lips attacked hers, tongue striking out at her mouth in a lustful crime. Lucy voice made a soft, barely audible sound as she obliged, letting their kiss deepen.

The blonde still had her hands at his waist, fingers now curled around the edge of fabric. Her nerves had pent up inside her after so long, and she could hardly imagine how Natsu felt. Pushing his pants down a subtle amount, Lucy's fingers trailed along the edge of his boxers.

Natsu's teeth pressed down on her lip in frustration. Lucy felt him press his hips into her hand, silently asking for more. They wanted it, but it was only a matter if she could bring herself to do it.

Lucy inhaled Natsu's scent as if it was the last chance she ever had to do so. Her mind fuzzy, her body warm, Lucy's breath hitched in her throat as she slipped her hand deeper inside his boxers.

The pink haired boy above her let out a shaky breath. His kissed to her face never ceased, even throughout his desperate grinding. Natsu soon had his hips through her belt loops, and he tugged on them roughly.

Her brown eyes squeezed shut as if that would make it all better. Regardless, she could still feel the shape of him against her hand, her fingers trailing over smooth skin. The shaky breaths that flowed from his lips convinced her he was more than eager to have her.

She looked up at him again, but Natsu's dark eyes were already glazed over with a feral emptiness to them. They stared down at what seemed like nothing in particular to her as Natsu still tugged at her jeans.

Her fingers brushing over his erection, Natsu's jaw flexed quickly to suppress his voice. His own hands worked to pry open the brass knob on her jeans. The same moment her button popped open was the same moment Natsu gave a small shudder from the way she didn't even try to please him.

Lucy had no idea what she was doing, but he liked it; perhaps he was just that pent up after so long. Pushing his pants further down his hips, Lucy managed to slide her palm along the length of his shaft still caged in his underwear.

From somewhere deep in his throat, Natsu growled. Before Lucy could wonder if that was a good or a bad thing, he had begun to aggressively tug down the back of her jeans. Lucy sat up a little only to have Natsu push her back into the couch.

His rough actions made Lucy press her hand deeper against his cock, feeling the pulse of his excitement beating against her hand. He in turn made no hesitation to slid his hand into her jeans. His palm cupped her center, making Lucy's body writhe beneath him.

Gaining satisfaction from watching her squirm, Natsu rolled the heel of his palm deeper against her mound. Lucy had to press her lips together in fear that she would make a god-awful noise. Pushing away her thoughts of selfishness, Lucy focused on the feel of his cock against her hand instead.

There was something she had never witnessed before, an emotion she never felt: the satisfaction of the pleasure of making someone else feel good. Natsu had given her so much until her body ached, but the desire to give back overwhelmed her.

All thoughts of inadequacy and filth left her mind. For now there was just her and Natsu. Her hand wrapped around his shaft firmly as she gathered the strength to pump him.

The pink haired boy above her dipped his head into her neck. He made another low growl, which lead to another rough press of his palm against her center. Her own stomach churned, her insides warmed with pleasure, but nothing mattered more than him.

Her hand gently stroking him off at first, Lucy began to pick up her pace. His hips found a rhythm and pushed into her fist as she pumped him. Warm beads of precum ran across his tip, and Lucy moaned in bliss knowing he was pleasured from this. From her.

The breath shared between them became mixed up until she could no longer tell their patterns apart. Her chest heaved with excitement as did his, rubbing each other in sync. The closer she came to her release, the more Lucy stroked along the length of Natsu's cock and the faster he fingered along her center.

Her voice broke out, and Lucy could no longer contain her moans of pleasure as she felt herself coming. For a moment she was ashamed--ashamed that yet again, she had failed to reciprocate these feelings. As her shaky legs brushed over each of Natsu's she too felt him trembling.

Natsu's hand palming her center, Lucy moaned again as she felt the slight twitches of his cock as he reached an orgasm as well. Her fingers still trailed along his length, his hands still roaming over her mound, and the both of them drew out the pleasure of their highs for as long as they could.

Lucy wasn't sure if she would ever catch her breath. Laying there with his on her neck, her eyes staring at the slacked expression of bliss on his face, Lucy didn't mind being out of breath if it meant a sight like that.

Her face flushed heavily. Before she could overreact, scold herself, Natsu picked his head up and kissed her. His lips met hers, entangling in a sloppy and rather terrible kiss, but one that mattered. It was impatient and surely better off without it, but the taste of each other was necessary.

When Natsu drew away again, he worked to pull up the edges of Lucy's pants again before anything else. Once her jeans were uncomfortably back on her hips, the blonde watched as he refastened his own pants.

Natsu stood up, and Lucy hated herself for sounding so desperate as she asked, "Where are you going?"

To no surprise, Natsu chuckled. His cheeks were stained red, his chest still heaving to regain his breath. "I'll be right back. I need to change my pants."

How romantic. Lucy nodded her head silently. Crossing her arms over her chest, Lucy watched as he walked out of her apartment again, not bothering with a key. If nothing else did the trick, that assured her he would be back.

It took a few minutes, but he did return. Natsu sat down beside her on the couch again, one lean arm draped around her shoulders and their eyes glued to the television screen as if nothing ever happened.

  
∞


	15. chapter » fourteen

Natsu had almost fallen asleep at Lucy's apartment. It was shortly before midnight when the television had begun to cut in and out, and the loud static noise had woken both of them up.

During their nap, the two of them had tangled their limbs together. Natsu was laying on the smaller blonde--which she was not fond of, especially due to the drool patch he left on her sleeve--with her legs and his resting together on the coffee table in front of them.

Neither of them denied Natsu needing to go home, though it was clear Natsu could easily have put up a fight to stay. Lucy yawned quietly to herself as they walked out of her apartment. She walked him to the elevator, watching him press the _down_ button on the wall.

"Thanks for walking me home." Natsu smiled his signature idiot grin.

Even despite how tired Lucy was, she couldn't help but smile. "Only fifty percent of the way."

Natsu just gave her a small shrug. "No matter. You're quite the gentleman."

Lucy's laugh turned into a quiet snort. The sound made her blush slightly, especially when she noticed Natsu's onyx eyes widen from him hearing the same sound. Before he could say anything, she kicked his shin. "What?" Natsu yelped in defense.

The doors to the elevator pulled apart with the well-known high pitched chime as always. Natsu, stepping inside, swayed side to side as he looked back at Lucy. "I had a great time tonight."

Crossing her arms over her chest, Lucy replied, "I think I'm the one supposed to be saying those things."

Natsu appeared genuinely appalled. "Says who?"

Lucy cocked her head to the side as she thought. "Every movie with romantic involvement ever made?"

Chewing his bottom lip as if to contemplate this, Natsu eventually gave a small shrug. "I'm not one for tradition."

The brass doors to the elevator made another small chime as they began to close. Immediately, the pink haired boy inside made a soft frown. Sticking his hand through the gap to block the doors from closing, Natsu grabbed Lucy's wrist.

"What's wrong?" Perplexed, the blonde looked at Natsu as he held onto her.

He simply shrugged one more time before saying, "We never properly said good night."

Another smile spread over Lucy's lips. "You get any clingier and you'll start acting like one of Gray's fangirls." She mused, both her and Natsu stepping closer until they stood on the border of the elevator.

Natsu rolled his dark eyes at her words. "He only has, like _one_ fan, and of course he would. He's such a cheap stripper, it's--"

Before he could continue rambling, Lucy cut him off. "Is Gray really a stripper?" She asked quickly.

The pink haired boy quickly piped down. He thought carefully before saying, "Not my place to tell ya."

"You guys say that a lot. It's annoying, I ha--" Lucy began to scold him, but Natsu just pulled Lucy closer to him.

His lips pressed down against her own, silencing the string of complaints that were about to fly past them. It didn't take long for Lucy's chocolate eyes to shut, her hands tugging at Natsu's as he held her.

The doors made yet another chime as they began to close. Natsu quickly pushed Lucy apart from him, and the last thing she saw before they shut was his glowing smile. He even chirped an energetic, "Good night, Luce!" at her.

The blonde stepped back from the elevator, her fingers running through her hair. She needed to brush it. She needed to shower. For once she didn't quite mind skipping it, though she wasn't sure if it was because of Natsu or how tired she was.

Somewhere to her side, there was a deep _thud_ as a door clicked shut. Lucy turned to see the source and found Erza coming up from the stairwell. "Hi." The redhead greeted her simply.

Lucy smiled faintly. "Hey," was all she replied with.

"Did you just say goodnight to Natsu, I take it?" Erza inquired. She gestured to the stairwell behind herself. "I had to take the stairs. Someone was hogging the elevator."

Lucy felt the need to apologize right away, though when she saw Erza's sheepish grin, it made Lucy smile as well. "I think we left before I could properly thank you, but it was really nice meeting your family today."

Erza looked down at her feet for a moment as if she was embarrassed. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about them."

The blonde just shrugged it away nonchalanty. "It's none of my business." She said, and it made Erza give another wry smile. "Though--if I may ask--why do you live here, on the same floor as me?"

Sighing, Erza even gave a curt laugh as if she was simply anticipating that question. "You probably noticed Jellal was on house arrest?" Lucy nodded subtly, and Erza continued. "He and Emily live there because of his monitor. I tried to get them to move here with me, but it's out of proximity for his officer."

Lucy was extremely unsatisfied with that, especially how sad it seemed for Erza to be away from her daughter. "You can't live with them then?"

Erza gave another smile; the more Lucy looked at it, the more motherly the redhead really did seem. "Emily and her father never got to see each other much when he was--away." The pause made Lucy sadden a bit. "He's only been back for a few months. They like to be alone together, and our apartment is so small over there I think sometimes I get in the way of their play dates."

The blonde felt her eyes watering softly. In a way she envied Emily on how amazing her father and mother were. They were poor, living in an apartment crowded even for only three, but they were happy. Lucy couldn't help imagine Jellal and Emily sleeping on the couch right now after Erza had left.

"He may seem sketchy given the circumstances, but he's a good dad." Erza said quickly. Her defensive tone made Lucy wonder how many other people had judged Erza for this, calling her daughter the one with the criminal dad and the poor mom. It was upsetting, even to her.

"I bet. She's a lucky kid." Lucy assured the other woman. Erza's smile grew faintly, and for a moment Lucy was just happy to make her feel so proud of what she had.

It was then that Erza took out her keys and walked the rest of the way to her apartment. "I'll see you tomorrow, Lucy. Good night."

Lucy waved with a small gesture of her hand. "Good night."

The blonde didn't go inside her own home until she heard the faint click of Erza's door shutting as well. She never thought she would be jealous of her close friend's daughter, but Lucy really wished her family had cared half as much as Jellal and Erza.

∞

"So how was last night?" Gray asked with intense intrigue. He leaned on the metal pole as he and Lucy took the bus to school the next morning.

"What are you talking about?" She sighed, unamused as she held onto Gray's arm. He too had noticed her habits and allowed her to hold onto him instead of the bus pole--even despite Lucy's inquisitive remarks about him being a dirty stripper.

"You have sex hair."

" _What are you talking about_?"

"Did you not brush it after you and Natsu bumped uglies?" Gray inquired blatantly.

Lucy rolled her eyes in disgust. "Do people even say that any more?" She noticed Gray shrug, but she kept talking before he could say something else that angered her. "I fell asleep before I could brush it last night after my shower and then woke up late this morning."

Gray whistled lowly. "It sounds like your day is off to a shit start."

"Oh, thanks." Lucy made sure her smile was filled with an extra dose of sarcasm as she looked up at him. The raven haired man just replied with a sly grin.

Lucy eventually tore her gaze off of his annoyingly smug face and looked down at her feet in boredom. Her hands eventually wandered back up to try and guess if the clothes Gray was wearing were actually his own--a guessing game she and Erza often played after seeing him in the redhead's sparkly sweater.

Instead, she found her eyes more interested on the red cuts scraped across Gray's knuckles. A small frown overtook Lucy's face, but she knew it was pointless to be worried. No one else ever was, at least. "Get into another fight?"

Gray furrowed his brow at her in confusion before she gestured to his hand. He made a small 'O' with his mouth and nodded. "But look, I hurt them this time."

"I'm so proud of you." Lucy grumbled, her tone dripping sarcasm.

Her friend was equally as sarcastic, so he just hummed back, "Thank you, Lucy."

The blonde shook her head and looked up at him. "Why do you guys keep fighting? You and Loke?"

Gray pursed his lips, blowing a small lock of hair out of his face. "It's not only me and Loke you know. I have a whole line of people waiting to hit me." He said it as if he was proud.

"That's not exactly something to aspire to." She was beginning to grow angry from his vague, half-hearted replies.

Gray just sighed deeply as he looked down at her. "Would you believe me if I told you I stole his girl and he has hated me for it for years?"

"No."

Gray immediately laughed. His hand pressed against his chest in mock hurt. "Don't think I'm capable of stealing his girl?"

Putting up her hand in surrender, Lucy said, "Oh, I think you're very capable. He just doesn't seem like he could keep a girl for very long anyway."

Gray made a soft 'ooh-ing' sound at her remark. "Savage, I like that." he teased, playfully nipping her side.

Lucy squeaked with a small laugh before swatting him away. "Will you tell me what happened between you guys soon? It's just, Natsu--"

"--Is involved in it somehow and you're just so drawn to him you _have_ to know more." Gray finished for her, breathing deeply with fake admiration. "I get it, you're curious. That's fine."

Lucy's eyes widened with excitement. "Really? You'll tell me about all that--you, Loke, Natsu?"

"On one condition." Gray mused, looking down at Lucy from the corner of his eye.

Huffing, Lucy swatted a piece of hair away from her eye and nodded. "And?"

"You have to tell me what's going on with you and Natsu." Gray said. He scowled a little when he said it, like he was ashamed of himself for actually caring. "Not that we're friends or anything. Just curious."

Lucy's cheeks reddened at how adorable she found his denial of kinship. "Yeah, fine." She said. She wanted to say there wasn't much to tell, but Gray wouldn't have that. Besides, she was so close to finding out his truth that she couldn't let it go now.

It was quite a moment longer as Lucy stared at his scabbed knuckled some more. "I can't believe you actually punched Loke."

Gray turned his hand over to assess the damage. "Loke? I didn't get this from fighting Loke."

Lucy nearly screamed with frustration. Maybe he did have a line of people waiting to fight him. "Who then!" She demanded rather than asked it.

"Lyon." He replied bluntly. "Totally different story."

 _Lyon..._ Lucy was sure that was the one in her class, the one who broke her bag. They had mentioned Lyon before as well. Apparently Gray had a talent for pissing people off.

"You're helpless." Lucy sighed. She shook her head plainly at Gray.

Gray didn't bother looking down at her. He probably got that a lot anyway. "At least I don't have confusing sexual relations with my neighbor."

Lucy's face heated up, but she wished it hadn't for obvious reasons. "Why would you say that!" She whisper-cried again.

Gray chuckled. "Sex hair."

∞

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nalu Lemon Novel  
> Exy Koroleva © 2016  
> Thank you for reading.  
> Some triggering scenes  
> to be included, so please  
> do not report. Comments  
> & votes are appreciated.
> 
> sometimes writing platonic  
> brotp graylu in this story   
> makes me happier than   
> writing romantic nalu  
> #sorrynotsorry


	16. chapter » fifteen

"Tell me about your day."

Natsu had his arms around Lucy, her back pressed up against the security of his solid chest. It was a simple demand he gave her rather than a question, but one that made her voice feel needed to be heard. It was a nice sensation.

"It was _perplexing_." Lucy said the word slowly, suggesting Natsu would need some time to process it if he even understood it at all. She guessed by the silence he was not following. "Just a lot happened today. I'm tired."

The pink haired boy behind her made a puppy-ish whine. "How so?" He asked. His hand brushed through her hair, which did _not_ exactly help her drowsy state.

Lucy pressed her lips together as she thought of what to say. Gray and her had talked about a lot today, as he promised, but none of it was satisfying. He had this manipulative way of saying what he wanted to say and making it sound like what she wanted to hear. She had no idea how such a weasel couldn't get his way out of a few fist fights.

Perhaps he just didn't want to. That was precisely the reason she gave Gray absolutely zero of her ' _dirty little secrets_ '; she knew he said he didn't care about Natsu, but they were brothers, that much was obvious.

"Class was long and boring." Lucy started. Her legs stretched out in front of her, hands playing with the hem on her lazy t-shirt. "I sat with Gray at lunch, and...he confuses me."

"Huh," Natsu snorted with dry, teasing laughter, "I wonder what that's like."

Lucy _chose_ to ignore that remark. Instead her eyes just kept watching her legs shift around restlessly before her, sprawled across her couch. "I don't know how you've been friends with him so long. He seems like he has so many secrets."

"Don't we all?" Natsu said almost immediately--it was hard to think of Natsu as a particularly private person though. "I've been with Gray through mostly everything, so it's like his secrets are mine too."

 _Mostly everything_. Lucy chewed the inside of her cheek. "Still...I'm sure there are things to him that you don't know."

Natsu laughed without humor. "Like what?"

Her fingers wrapped and unwrapped the edge of her shirt around it. "Like what's up with him and Loke."

Natsu went silent, and suddenly Lucy remembered that angered look in his eyes that day she shared a cab with Loke; he was so protective in such a violent way. Lucy had a hard time picturing his expression in comparison to the smile he almost always bore.

"I don't think that mystery will ever be uncovered." Natsu said slowly, his breath letting out of his chest in exasperation. He leaned his head back as if just the thought of Loke wore him out.

Lucy smiled even though he wouldn't be able to see. "I suppose that's true." She said.

There was a comfortable silence that followed: where the air was thin between them, yet they stayed so close that words seemed to flow through one another without needing to be spoken, heartbeats playing Morse code onto another's skin. Yet Lucy wanted to hear his voice.

"What's your family like?" Lucy asked after a moment. In nothing but thin running shorts her legs began to get cold, but she didn't dare move.

She could feel Natsu shrug simply. "My dad was nice. He died when I was little though."

Lucy was hoping for something uplifting--at least uplifting compared to _her_ story. "Oh. I'm sorry."

Natsu shrugged again: so nonchalant, so careless about _everything_. "I live with my uncle now. Well, kinda uncle. I don't know really. He was my dad's friend, and he adopted me when my dad passed away."

The blonde bit her cheek again. "How'd he die?" She didn't mean to press, but curiosity had come to her.

"He was in the Air Force." Natsu said simply. There was another silence as details were unnecessary. Such a simple explanation meant so much that Lucy didn't need to hear any more.

Before she could say anything vaguely generic such as ' _sorry_ ' yet again, Natsu spoke up. "You should come over for dinner sometime. I bet they'd like you."

Lucy considered for a moment. "They?"

She felt Natsu nod his head subtly. "He and my adopted brother. Technically I'm the adopted one, but whatever." He said before yawning.

Lucy smiled at how childish he was in the fact that seemed to be able to fall asleep anywhere. "I've already met part of your family. Why not more?" She mused. Lucy turned her head over her shoulder to smile at him.

Natsu's lips curled up into a weary smile. "Gray and Erza are much more intimidating than my actual family, so you have nothing to worry about."

Lucy nodded her head before turning around again. Even as he said that, she didn't believe him. Families were awful to try and get to know, like being stuck on the playground on the first day of school only to find cliques had already been made. She just never really belonged.

A stifled yawn came out of Lucy's mouth this time. Natsu stopped petting her hair, which she both hated and was relived with. "Don't fall asleep on me." Natsu muttered.

The blonde's chocolate colored eyes narrowed slightly, but of course he didn't see. "You yawned earlier too."

Natsu was quiet a moment as he tried to think of a comeback. "No I didn't" was all that stubbornly came out though.

Lucy giggled quietly, her smile a shy one of content. "Keep me away then." She murmured, pausing as she tried to fight off another yawn. "Entertain me."

The pink haired boy laughed silently. "That requires effort." He said, pronouncing it slowly since just _saying_ it required effort.

Lucy closed her eyes and made a condescending hum. "I thought you were tired."

Natsu's arms locked around her waist. His hands now rubbing small circles along her stomach and sides, it was more than difficult for her to keep awake. "I'm not." Natsu denied again.

The blonde nodded, her smile still evident in her drowsy state. "Sure you aren't." She sang it quietly under her breath. Her legs stretched out more along the couch, her body sinking further into his.

His hands still trailing along her abdomen, Natsu tugged up her shirt a little and laid his hands against the bare skin of her stomach. Lucy prepared herself to flinch--mainly from the cold though--but she found his touch calm and _warm._ Mavis, it was so warm.

His hands ran small shapes along her stomach, the sensation only slightly ticklish. His warmth and gentleness counteracted the fidgets and giggles this normally would've made her burst into. Natsu's chin then laid on her shoulder, breath warm on her neck.

First, it was his breath. Then his lips ghosted over the skin, and eventually his teeth grazed the patch as well. Lucy's breathing went shallow as tingles ran along her skin; small tufts of Natsu's hair grazed her ear, making her shiver.

Natsu's fingers danced along the waistline of her shorts. "You sleepy?" He asked, his voice small and quiet.

Lucy nodded her head as well as she could. She found that her voice wasn't quite working, but she didn't mind. Her eyes squeezed shut as Natsu's fingers dipped below her clothing.

There were soft touches along her mound. Fingers fleetingly stroked her skin, second by second inching closer to a more pleasurable spot. Her legs simply stretched and writhed out in front of her from the nerves that bunched in her body.

Warmth ran deeper like a river of fire, sparks left in his wake as Natsu's hand ran deeper down between her legs. Hot skin caressed over her folds and he pressed his fingers in between the crevices of her center, reaching for that place that made her squirm.

He reached it soon enough. The pad of his finger grazed over the sensitive nub and Lucy's entire body arched with not-so-subtle muscle instincts. Her hands grasped around Natsu's lean forearms, her fingers tracing over the wrist cuffs he always wore.

As her body pressed deeper into his back, she could feel the pulse of Natsu's heartbeat echoing against her own body with fantastic force. Lucy's eyes were closed, yet she could see the strained mouth-half-open look on his face as his breaths began to match hers.

Just like that, his lips returned to her neck. Perhaps he would leave a mark there, mark her his for selfish reasons. Maybe he would just let his lips linger there long enough so that when he pulled away, she would still be haunted by the ghost of his light kisses.

Natsu's fingers pressed more roughly against her clit, and her legs shifted from one pleasurably antsy position to the other. A lustful wetness ran out from her slowly, and his fingers quickly traced over it to coat himself with her.

Once entirely wet with her own fluids, Natsu's fingers dove inside her swiftly. Just one at first, lightly curving up to map out territory still vaguely foreign to him. Her breaths turned into light moans as he pressed up against her walls, her body writhing.

 _He's so close,_ Lucy's breath was shaky as he inserted another digit within her entrance. _I let this happen_. Natsu breath stained her skin with a haze of warm saliva and fleeting kisses. _Maybe I_ am _as strong as he claims I am_.

"Natsu-" Lucy's voice cut short into a moan as a third finger slipped inside of her. Though not too deep nor fast, the feel of him inside her felt oddly _right._ Not in a pleasurable way or one of utter ecstasy, but in the way that she simply needed him _close_ , closer than anything.

His palm pressed up against her clit, moving rhythmically with the fingers her plunged inside her. Nerves wound beneath her skin, scratching at the insides of her stomach for a release only Natsu could give her.

Lucy loved Natsu, but she was not _in love_ with him. There was an unspeakable, only feel-able, difference she would have to learn soon. She had yet to learn, but she didn't care. If this was the start, she would see it through to the end.

Natsu's fingers pushed inside of her. He hit a point he now knew to remember the rest of his life: the point that made Lucy's voice shaky as she came: the point that made her body melt deeper into his: the point that made her seem like she was almost his, just _almost._

Her wetness stained his fingers as he drew them out from inside of her. Her body still overflowing with sensitive nerves, Natsu traced his hand along her clit to draw out the moans and squirms as long as he could. Lucy knew how selfless he was to find satisfaction in making her come.

He was so selfless, yet for no reason other than he _liked_ her, as if this were some grade-school crush and they were chasing each other across the playground. Lucy's body felt cold as he touched her, goose-bumped as he kissed her.

"Lucy." Natsu murmured, his lips softly prying at the crook of her neck.

There was no point to his selflessness. Lucy was finding pleasure in a boy who was too nice to take anything from her because he figured life had taken enough from her already. She received his touches and praises like a child learning to stand on their own, and in a way she felt utterly inadequate compared to him.

"Lucy..." Natsu's voice trailed off, this time saying her name in a more begging, needing tone. He wanted to hear something back, to see the look in her eyes, the pout of his lips as she struggled to catch her breath.

He deserved it, but Lucy couldn't bring herself to give it. Selfish as it may be, she was not worthy of him, and there was no change to that. Her hands readjusted her shorts along her hips and tugged her shirt down her belly further before she sat up away from the solidarity of his embrace.

With shaky legs she stood up, walking past him without the strength to look upon the hurt expression he wore on his puppy-ish face. "I'm going to take a shower."

∞

**_ Nalu Lemon Novel _ **   
_ Exy Koroleva © 2016 _   
_Thank you for reading._   
_Some triggering scenes_   
_to be included, so please_   
_do not report. Comments_   
_& votes are appreciated._

 


	17. chapter » sixteen

_You should come meet my family_. The idea of it rattled inside Lucy's brain for a very disastrous length of time. From the moment she disappeared under the steamy water of her shower to the moment she sat in the lecture hall of her astronomy class, Lucy heard her own mind whispering it to her.

Somewhere between the flashes of galaxy break-downs on the projector the professor was showing them and the pen-drawn stars boarding the edges of her notebook, Lucy was thinking about the little stars in her own mind.

Mauna Kea. The stars there were beautiful; would Natsu go there with her? She was not the type to take home to your parents. Lucy was the kind you took to lunch during the week when you were free on time and didn't have much else to do. Spot the difference.

Her pen made silent strokes along the border or her college-ruled notebook. She had a laptop for most classes, but astronomy she never needed it. To her, it was just pretty pictures of things she had already learned. It was the one class Lucy was already top at, mostly because she had already taught herself most of the theories.

A small scuffling noise sounded out beside her. Barely moving her head to the side to see who it was, Lucy watched as Loke sat himself down in the rolling chair beside her. He had just gotten up and switched seats mid-lecture. _How daring_ , Lucy scoffed to herself.

"Morning." She said quietly. Her elbow on the table, Lucy propped her head up lazily against her fist. Her pen kept scratching at paper.

The orange-haired man beside her huffed in response and laid over the table and rested his head on his folded forearms. "You should really pay attention more."

"Says the one talking during class." Lucy whispered back. Her eyes kept a downward cast on her half-doodled page.

She hadn't spoken to Loke since their run in with Natsu, mostly because she knew she would take sides if things came down to it. Besides, he told her to stay away from Loke at least a little bit. It wouldn't go well if he knew they were still friends.

Then again, who was Natsu to dictate her friendships? "How have you been?" Lucy asked. How long had it been since that day--hardly a few weeks?

Loke shrugged as if that were a good answer. "I survived." He mused humorlessly. "You?"

Lucy snorted quietly. "Ditto."

The orange haired male beside her pouted with dramatic sympathy. "Things really that bad with your pretty pink boyfriend?" He snickered.

Her brows furrowed as she finally turned her head to look at him. "Why would you say that?"

"What, like it wasn't obvious? The way he was _so~_ protective of you that day we shared a cab." Loke laughed with genuine amusement rather than jealousy, which made Lucy somewhat relieved. "Natsu's protective in general and all, but he goes a little too far when people he cares about are involved."

Lucy's already plump lips pursed slightly. "Speaking from more than one experience I take it?" She raised an eyebrow and they silently shared a look that said, _Gray_.

At just the mention of it between them, Loke's face erupted into a childlike smile. "Yeah, you could so say. Natsu tried to fight me once."

"And?"

Loke snorted with stifled laughter. "We got stuck under the bleachers during high school because we were fighting during gym class and didn't get back inside before the doors locked again. We had to wait for security to let us in."

Lucy's cheeks flushed pink at the idea of Natsu doing something so reckless. She could only imagine the way he would get so flustered over it if it was ever brought up again...

"You should've seen Gray's face when he heard me and Natsu were caught skipping class to sit under the bleachers." Loke's hazel eyes stared at the surface of the table as his fingers drummed on it. "It was something else."

Her pen hand stopped doodling on her paper for a moment. She still had her knuckles propped against her temple to hold up her head, but Loke seemed much too lost in thought to notice her staring. His lips even held a vague smile in his oddly indie-themed reminiscent moment.

Lucy eventually nudged Loke to bring him back to reality. The boy seemed harmless enough; how could Natsu hate someone like that? He _was_ a bit of a player, but she chose to overlook that at the moment.

"Do you want to get lunch with me today?" Lucy asked. Natsu nor she had called or texted the other after he left yesterday after their _session_ , and suddenly the thought of spending lunch alone made her heart sink.

It was strange how foreign being alone seemed after only a few weeks of forced friendship. Even if it was just awkward café meet-ups and dinner dates at her friends' house, Lucy had found she was almost never alone. Whether it was Gray or Erza or Natsu especially, it's like they hadn't allowed her much time alone.

Lucy hadn't realized how much she liked the company until she had to plan which corner of the library to spend her lunch break today in solitude.

"Sure." Loke said after a moment. He seemed taken aback as well, considering the _Natsu_ situation, but he nodded anyway. "We can go somewhere after this class lets out."

Lucy nodded her head and leaned back in her chair. The professor droned on and on again, discussing the different known shapes galaxies could make. _Yawn._

∞

It didn't take long for Lucy to relay her ' _it's-complicated_ ' status with Natsu to Loke. This strange ginger in her class seemed to be a lot more perceptive than the dense minds of Natsu and her dear friend Gray. She was thankful for an open mind.

They sat together on the green after walking to the cafeteria and buying premade sandwiches and bottled drinks from a machine. Lucy didn't trust the germs of the people _making_ her food and Loke was cheap, so vending machine food it was. Perfect.

"I like him, it's just I'm so--" Lucy paused at her lack of a better word. Her life of nestled into library niches was failing her now. "-- _me_."

Loke snorted softly in empathy. "And what's wrong with being you?" Loke asked, his tone almost slightly defensive as if she had insulted him and not herself. "You don't seem all that bad."

The words themselves were vaguely admirable, but the way he said it made Lucy realize just how effortlessly flirty he was _all the time_. "Are you always like that? Just saying flattering things in hopes it'll lighten up the subject?"

The orange haired man opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out. He eventually cocked his head at Lucy and smiled with the corner of his lips. "Are you always so plainly boring and so-- _you_?"

Lucy rolled her eyes. "That's rude. I can say that about me, not you." She murmured, stuffing another huge bite of food shamelessly into her mouth. "Once again, changing the subject." The blonde sang.

Her friend raised his hands up in feign surrender. "It may _possibly_ be my motive. Then again how the hell would I carry out a serious conversation with someone? I'm ten years too immature for my biological age."

"As if that much was obvious." Lucy sighed tauntingly. They both snickered silently as they ate. "Is that what happened with you and Gray?"

Loke was silent, but this time it was a very uncomfortable silence, at least on his part. "Gray was always more serious than me. If anything he didn't know how to let loose a bit." He said, his head hung down to stare at the food placed in his lap.

Natsu was playful like that. For someone as wild and carefree as Loke, Natsu was an easy replacement. Or the other way around, she guessed. Everyone _except_ Gray seemed to care about the little 'battle of eccentrics' that was fought over him.

If anything, Lucy could imagine Gray walking up to Natsu and Loke fighting, sigh like a pained parent, then turn around and walk away.

But maybe that was why he was almost just as alone as Lucy; because neither of them gave other people the chance to get close.

Lucy sighed to herself. She was overthinking again, and that was an awful idea. "So you were the one to help Gray out of his comfort zone." Lucy noted aloud after a moment. "And he pushed you back on track when you strayed.

"Yeah." Loke nodded his head plainly. She could practically hear him saying, ' _we're just like you and Natsu too, you know_.'

Lucy finished eating what she wanted. She would've gotten up to go throw her trash away, but the foreboding blonde man with the headphones sitting a mere few feet away was much too intimidating to walk near, even if he was asleep and listening to Mavis-knows-what.

Loke finished eating and crumpled up his food as well. His meal was only half-picked at, but he much have lost his appetite. "Does Gray ever say anything about me?" He asked quietly. He picked his head up to look at Lucy with oddly pleading eyes.

"Well, not really--" Lucy started. She was trying to come up with a nice way to say, ' _he actually avoids you almost every time I mention you_!' Luckily she didn't have to finish: a sweet looking girl came up to their two-person lunch group and awkwardly waved at Loke.

"Hi, Loke." She giggled. _Giggled_. The girl payed Lucy no mind. "You still didn't call, so I figured I'd give you my number in case you forgot."

And with that she held out a slip of paper to which Loke humbly accepted with his playboy smile. "I didn't forget Sasha."

"Sarah."

"Well have a nice lunch, Samantha." Loke smiled warmly and the girl walked away with a face beaming red with giddiness despite the fact he messed up her name _twice,_ most likely on purpose.

Loke turned to her with an exhausted expression. ' _Don't ask,_ ' it read. Continuing where they left off, he asked, "About Gray..?"

At least the interruption had given her some time to think about ways to let him down slowly. Oh, if only she had his playboy skill and the ' _it's not you, it's me_ ' attitude. Sadly, she was a painfully honest and modest person. Screw her good nature.

"I've asked about you a few times, but he's always gotten clammy about it." Lucy settled for saying. Simple, vague, just her style. Lucy picked at her meal scraps as she _felt_ Loke staring at her for more.

"Lucy!"

The blonde turned around to look over her shoulder at the sound of the familiar voice. It was friendly, male--which really only ruled out Erza as it's host, then, which she tried not to dwell on--and jogging straight towards her in minimal clothing.

Before Lucy could beam with happiness that she was no longer without the company of a friend--sorry Loke, but a _true_ friend, she thought--Gray had slowed his pace to throw a nervous glance at Loke. The cherry on top was the fact that Natsu was walking behind him, yet his poor and pink-haired soul was still entirely oblivious.

Gray came to a stop by Lucy's side. He didn't pay the ginger much attention: only looked down at Lucy with a more pained expression than angry.

When she glanced at Loke, he was staring intensely at Gray, or rather the bruise mark on the side of his face. At first she thought it was guilt, then she remembered how Gray told her Loke hadn't caused it. His upset look was more pity, perhaps?

"Hey." Gray said quietly. He gave Lucy a pleading look, asking with his eyes to leave and not say anything to grab the attention of their disastrous hot-headed friend. Gray had shut Loke out like a fly on the wall. "We should g--"

"Lucy." Natsu's voice was tight and deep as he walked up to her. If she were standing up, she could imagine the way he grabbed her hand in that possessive-protective way he had so often before.

With his onyx eyes betraying the coldness Gray had settled upon the scene, Natsu burned through the ice with eyes set on the orange-haired man still staring at Gray with brows knit together in worry.

"We don't have time to waste on shit." Natsu murmured, clearing invoking the last word as a substitute for the noun ' _Loke_.' "We're leaving."

Lucy let Natsu pull her to her feet; she would have fought back, but the thought of an actual fight scared her too much. Where was Erza when she was needed.

With her fingers threaded through Natsu's they began to walk away. Only with a glance over her shoulder did she notice Gray had lingered there for a moment as if completely missing the fact Lucy had stood up to leave.

Gray was fixated on nothing, but his mind was reeling with so many unknown thoughts that Lucy was counting the seconds until they all exploded from his head like a radio set to the wrong station.

∞

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nalu Lemon Novel  
> Exy Koroleva © 2016  
> Thank you for reading.  
> Some triggering scenes  
> to be included, so please  
> do not report. Comments  
> & votes are appreciated.
> 
> i feel bad for the lack of smut  
> here so next chapter will be   
> lemon-y and a quick update  
> since lemons are easy to write  
> (or mama's just that good aye)


	18. chapter » seventeen

"I can handle myself."

"No, you can't."

 _No, I can't_ , Lucy thought, but she was stubborn enough to never verbally agree with Natsu's argument. Instead, she let his hand wrap around hers, her frail body trailing behind his protective one as they walked to, well, _somewhere_. Lucy wasn't entirely sure until they arrived back at their apartment building.

Elevator doors opened, stepped inside: silence on the way up, terrible music flowing out the speakers at a barely audible volume. Lucy's hand tugged away from Natsu's grip.

"He's my friend." Lucy said blatantly, her voice dripping with as much spite as she could. She was a grown woman who could make her own decisions and chose her own friends. She did not need Natsu to dictate for her.

"Yeah, he used to be mine and Gray's, too." Natsu said. His tone was edged with a sarcasm that undermined Lucy's own attitude. "Then he started hurting people."

The blonde huffed. She didn't bring herself to look at Natsu. Instead, she glared ahead of her at the brassy doors as they went up another level. "He won't hurt me."

Natsu scoffed. "He once said he'd never hurt Gray."

This boy's adamant feelings weren't going anywhere, yet neither was Lucy. They were both too stubborn for their own good. Lucy's thin arms tucked into each other as she crossed them over her chest. "Gray is strong. He can hold his own if he and Loke want to be immature."

The elevator doors opened onto their level, though Natsu nearly burst into a fit. His palm hit the wall beside Lucy's head for added effect even though he would never hurt her. Would he?

"Immature? You think they were being immature?" Natsu's voice was gruff and loud as his lips pulled into a tight sneer, the lips she dreamed of kissing so often. "Sure, they were kids. But stop talking about it like you were there. You don't know anything."

Natsu turned his back to her. She wanted to scream at him even if she had no words, to just do anything. She had spent too much of her life being bullied into keeping quiet. She wanted to change, but today was not that day.

Taking a few quick steps out before the elevator doors closed again, Lucy followed the pink haired boy down the hall. "That's easy for you to say. Maybe if someone actually told me something then I'd be able to have a _rational_ and _mature_ conversation about this."

Natsu was far from mature; he made it clear in the way he silently mimicked her words, miming her like a child does their sibling as he fiddled angrily with his keys. His hands were unsteady, his head flustered. It took a moment to finally get the keys in the door.

"I don't care, Luce." Natsu snapped once the door was open and he slipped inside. Despite his obvious state of distress, he held the door for her. "Loke is still not someone I trust to be around you and _not_ doing anything stupid."

The door closed with a careless _thud_ as Lucy shimmied off her jacket. "Stupid? Do you realize that's all you and your friends are, is stupid?"

Natsu's mouth fell open to protest, but Lucy kept arguing. " _Gray_ is a maybe-maybe not stripper who gets into fights wearing minimal clothing. Erza is absolutely controlling around you guys and keeps more secrets than _anyone_ I know! And you, you--"

Lucy paused. She had no idea what to say when it came to Natsu. They hardly knew each other, so how could she judge someone she wasn't familiar with? She knew the curve of his smile and the very shape of his body, but there were the little things about him she lacked to know, simple things.

"You just can't stay away from girl's who are obviously bad for you." She muttered. She tossed her coat as Natsu before her legs carried her into the rest of the apartment.

Only then did it dawn on her that this was indeed Natsu's apartment and not hers. It was the same layout, being in the same building and all, but it was surprisingly clean for a college boy. It was actually empty, if anything, making it look like a mansion compared to Erza's crowded home.

Regardless of how badly they wanted to fight, Natsu still took the time to hang up Lucy's coat on a wire and stick it in the closet. "I can't believe you're just going to stand there and call me stupid. You're such a hypocrite."

Lucy's pair of rich brown eyes widened into saucers with disbelief. Eyebrows raised, Lucy gave him a clear look of disdain. "I'm stupid?" She felt her jaw tighten in both anger and sadness, biting back the unhappiness she had surely brought on herself.

Natsu nodded. He took steps so painfully slow towards her that she could see his attitude leaking out at the seams. "You want to put all the blame on me and Erza and Gray for not telling you anything? It's because we don't know you, Luce. You've been here for what, a couple months? And the only time we see you is in class or when Erza invites you out."

"You're an outsider, and they can't trust you." Natsu added, his arms crossed over his chest as well, veins prominent as he clenched and unclenched his fists. "I want to trust you, and I want you to trust me, but it's impossible when you don't want to do anything other than sit at home and bathe in your self pity."

Lucy's eyes watered, although it was anger that brought it on more than anything. Anger at herself for letting it happen, for letting Natsu be right about her. "So what? It's better than chasing some sad girl and trying to get in her pants because I'm _that_ desperate."

Natsu's lips curved back into another disdainful sneer. "Prude."

"Easy." Lucy retorted.

"Crybaby."

"Immature."

"Stuck-up."

"Rash."

"Coward."

" _Stupid_!" Lucy and Natsu growled at each other at the same time, hoping _stupid_ was still as good of an insult now as it was when they were toddlers.

It was simultaneous the way they cut each other off, the way Natsu backed Lucy into the wall and the way she took a few steps back to let him do so. Her back hit drywall along with the thumping of Natsu's palms planting on either side of her. His head dipped down, hers tilting up, and smashed their lips together in a terribly indecisive way.

All Lucy could think about was backing away. She didn't want to be cornered like an animal while some man hovered over her and took advantage of her _again_. Though Natsu wasn't taking advantage of her; she wanted the angry growls and the possessive grabbing and the way he held her like she was his and no one else's.

Was that love: wanting someone so badly you'd let them hurt you for it, just a little?

Lucy's leg drifted up and pressed against the side of his body; in turn, his hand drifted down and grabbed onto her leg, squeezing roughly as he dragged their bodies closer together. Her stomach pressed against his, her chest mashed so tightly with Natsu's she could feel his pulse. Her hips ground up against Natsu before he finally grabbed her and pulled her up into his arms.

As soon as he did so, her legs instinctively wrapped around his waist. She felt like she belonged there, in his arms, even if right now she was so simply _mad_ at him for trying to control who she chose as friends and who she didn't. She was angry, but she could push that feeling aside like she did everything else.

Her hands rose up to sift through his hair, tugging at the mused locks of candy floss colored tufts. His lips were warm against her own; Lucy could taste his warmth, as strange as it sounded. She could feel every bit of bliss in more than one way, more than just with a kiss or a few words. She experienced it in all her senses, the desire overwhelming her.

If this was love, where had it been all her life?

Lucy's chest rose and fell heavily as she noticed Natsu walking down the hall. She was curious to see Natsu's apartment for the first time, but the taste of his lips was more alluring. Her palms slid over the sides of his face, only to fall back as Natsu dropped Lucy from his clutches and onto the mattress, standing before her so tall and intimidating.

But Lucy wasn't scared. Her legs wrapped around his hips with a greedy vigor she so rarely experienced and pulled him down with her. Without further hesitation, his body moved on top of hers. Natsu's hands slid over the sheets on his bed in order to dip down and pry at the waistband of her pants.

Lucy's hips arched up to help him: a sign of consent she never quite gave to anyone except the boy over her right then and right there. Her head tilted backwards as Natsu's body settled in comfortably between her legs.

Natsu's hands slid along her thighs, mapping out the terrain of her body before grabbing her hips and turning her over onto her stomach so he could delineate over other regions of her skin. Lucy's head fell forward into the mattress, her arms sliding over the sheets to grip at them as she felt his fingers so gently charting out her body for further use.

And there were aching feelings in her stomach that Lucy only felt with Natsu, animals scratching at her icy walls in order to break free and experience true pleasure, craving release in the way she craved his skin beneath her palms, or perhaps vice versa.

"Natsu," Lucy's head turned over her shoulder, her eyes tracing the indents of his muscles before looking up into the night skies of his irises, "I want to."

The animals in her stomach ached to set free, already swimming in the dripping excitement between her legs and begging for more. The butterflies never ceased, not even when Natsu grabbed her and shook his head.

"Not like this."

 _Denial_ from a _man_ \--something Lucy was not too familiar with. She was used to the roughness and the possession and she hated it, all except for now, simple because the man before her wasn't like the one she had before.

"You're angry at me, Luce. I know." He said, and it was true; the blonde just chose to suppress the thought considering the moment was rather special, for her at least. "I don't want our first time to be out of spite. Especially while that spite is while I'm picturing Loke and I just--"

Lucy's body wiggled slightly in order to face him again. Her hands rose forward and pressed against that stomach of his she had stared at so hungrily, so deeply. "I'm not mad." She huffed, her stubbornness overriding her systems and adding an unnecessary confusion to the air. Again.

Natsu just smiled and shook his head, too used to her confusing antics to mind them much anymore. "Yes, you are." He said sternly. His hands still gripped her thighs, pulling them out to either side of him as he leaned down and kissed her stomach.

"Well, why--" Lucy found the words hard to manage; her mind was hazy. "--why would I want to do it if I was mad at you."

Natsu only laughed more as he fleeted another trail of sloppy, open-mouthed kisses below her naval and over the thin covering of her undergarments. "Because angst-y sex is _really_ good. Uncovered mystery, so don't ask why."

She could have smiled or hit him or maybe both, but Lucy had no desire to at that moment. All she could focus on was the breath of Natsu's lungs passing his lips and seeping into her center as his mouth pressed up against her, his teasing actions only the beginning of many more to come. 

∞

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nalu Lemon Novel  
> Exy Koroleva © 2016  
> Thank you for reading.  
> Some triggering scenes  
> to be included, so please  
> do not report. Comments  
> & votes are appreciated.
> 
> i really wanted to write lucy  
> saying "erza has more secrets  
> than gretchen wieners's hair."  
> thank you for reading xox


	19. chapter » eighteen

What turned Lucy on most were the sounds Natsu made.

Hearing male moans were blissful: even more so when they were muffled by the skin of laying between her legs. Though Natsu hadn't reached that point quite yet; he took his time letting his hands traverse up her legs, his palms grazing the naturally faint subtle of her silky calves, lips pressed to her knee.

In faintest terms, Lucy was trembling. In depth, her body was shaking so unsteadily as her veins coursed blood and adrenaline all together, her skin heating from the inside where her muscles tenses and the outside where his breath pooled over her.

His hands wrapped around her calves, first reveling in the length of her legs and they way they seemed to go on for miles. She had to close her eyes to keep her face from heating up as well, visibly red and as flushed as the mound between her legs.

Warmth and chills spread over her all at once as his touch went farther up her legs. Palms sliding over the round of her knees, Natsu grabbed onto soft handfuls of flesh along her upper thighs. His eyes hungrily watches as the curve of her leg bent into a wide hip, rounding out into her ass.

Every time he looked at a new and unseen part of her body, her muscles ached. Ached for touches and breathes, strokes and pets.

Eventually Natsu's hands left her legs and instead his fingers dodged over the fabric covering her mound. Visible wet rings spotted the very thinnest strip of her panties, her core slicked with juices from her waiting.

Fingers hooking around the hem, Natsu slowly tugged down her undergarments in a painstakingly slow motion, causing her body to arch and writhe and _struggle_ even more. He sat up away from her, allowing room between them so her eyes could open up to the sight of him crawling between her legs, holding them and playing with them like toys.

Her hips ground deeper into the mattress as Natsu slid the last of her lower coverings off her legs. He held onto her calves again once they were gone, his body inching closer once again on his knees, admiring the sight of her before him. _Then_ her cheeks really did flush heavily.

Natsu's hands wrapped around her thighs, his fingers pressing into the sensitive divots of skin on her pelvic joints. Once his first breathe hit her exposed cunt, Lucy's head threw back with a newfound satisfaction after so long.

Lucy's hands didn't even grip at the mattress--she went straight for his hair, fingers sliding through the softness like a plush pink blanket. Then his lips pressed against every spot of her skin except where she desired him most.

Tingles ridged her skin, but not in her usual disgusted way. For the first time, even since being with Natsu, she both wanted and felt wanted. Soft, open mouthed kisses let their way along the insides of her thighs _just so teasingly_ before actually giving in to what she wanted.

His lips pressed down against the flushed folds of her labia, stimulating just the subtlest of sensations over her clit. Tongue delving out from between his lips and in through hers, Natsu licked a gently clean stripe from her center to her start, flicking over the excited nub.

Lucy cried out with the softest of moans finding way past her lips. Her hands tugged at thicker locks of his hair in absolute desperation. His saliva coating her center and mixing with the lubrication of her own erotic fluids, Natsu's mouth enveloped her clit.

He licked at her, sucked at her, grabbed at her all in ways that made Lucy's breathing create unsteady patterns and her chest rising and falling in staccato heartbeats.

Then he moaned.

The feeling of his tongue against her center already made her cry with lust, but his voice--by gods, his voice--send vibrations along her core and sounds of ecstasy to her ears. Low, throaty, growling moans reached up to Lucy like wordless, muffled praises begging her to come.

His hands moved along her hips again before reaching between her and the mattress and cupping her backside into his palms. Natsu lifted her hips up ever so slightly amidst his actions, both his face leaning forward and his hips tilting up to bury further into each other.

Lucy's legs laid against his strong shoulders, her knees shaking at the back of his head. As much as she tried to hold back, her heels dug so wildly into his spine she feared she may bruise him. Though Natsu paid no mind; if anything, he dove deeper.

His hands still groping her ass, Natsu pushed at the right side of her body and turned her over. Before she could protest, her hands left his hair and instead ran over the smooth, clean-- _impeccably_ clean--sheets to push herself up a little bit.

Natsu had almost let no time for her to resituate herself; he rolled over onto her back like a feral dog and pushed himself underneath her spread and kneeling legs. His hands grabbed at her hips again, lifting her until she rested her pelvis at a perfect height above his mouth.

Her hands lifting up and bracing herself against the wall, fingers digging into the slightly roughed up texture of painted drywall, Lucy let out another strangled moan. Natsu's voice slipped out again, vibrating against the lips of her labia as he took her mound in his mouth again.

Sucking at her roughly, Natsu's tongue lapped across the clit he had pulled between his lips. Come trailed down the sides of his hollowed out cheeks and sharp jaw, staining pale skin with a paler liquid. His moans streamed out an erotic harmony for her to rock her hips to.

Lucy's fingers scraped at the wall again, only wishing it was half as soft as the feel of his hair. She begged for louder moans he made even as she turned her head over her shoulder, her half-lidded cocoa brown eyes drinking in the sight of one of his hands snaked down under his pants to grab at the base of his cock.

 _And yet he still won't have me_. Lucy grit her teeth for a second before her jaw fell open into another moaning gap. She needed him to take her. Lucy wasn't sure what she hated more: the feeling of begging someone _not_ to touch her or begging someone she was sure she loved to touch her even though he didn't want the same.

Fearful hatred and fearful love were all too similar.

"Lucy," The pink-haired boy moaned out her name again, his eyes lazily looking up at her in an equal pleasure. Still rubbing himself down beneath his pants, Natsu's chin pressed up against her as she trembled.

The blonde felt her body bubble with excitement, starting in her stomach and riding out in waves of quakes and shakes and eventually moans with her impending orgasm. More fluids leaked out from between her legs and into his mouth, his tongue lapping at it and asking for more as he drew out the last of her bliss.

Lucy's body hunched over slightly, her hands gripping at the walls even more as her limbs grew unsteady as she came. Her hips rocked over his face during the time it took her to catch her breath again. But even as she stopped straddling him and dropped down at his side, her chest still moved rapidly.

Natsu tugged up the bottom of his shirt, using it to wipe at the fluids running down his neck and the lower half of his face. A stifled laugh emitted from her body upon seeing Natsu and his dorky grin looking back at her.

Her eyes wandered to down to the open slip of his stomach that his shirt no longer covered, raw and toned flesh she laid her hand on top of. His breathing made his stomach move almost unnoticeably beneath her palm. Lower down, a small dark stain blossomed the leg of his pants.

He had come from making her come, received pleasure only by giving it. Lucy had no idea that was possible. Perhaps it just wasn't possible for normal men, men undeniably less exquisite than the one beside her.

He smiled, she smiled, their lips barely touching and instead making their kiss up of nothing but teeth and tongue and pure admiration, because their affection for each other deemed insatiable in terms of something so put together and organized and easy to understand as language.

Because love, by no means, is put together and organized and easy to understand.

∞

Lucy was prepared for a night in.

She had a pot of packaged noodles sitting in the microwave to keep warm, at least since she was much too lazy to boil them on the stove. And she didn't have Natsu here to give the puppy eyes to so he would do it; no, tonight he was at work. _Work_ , a work she had no idea he even knew.

Natsu was vague about it. He had only said he worked a night shift so it could match his school schedule easier. While it gave Lucy plenty of material to think about at five a.m. when she could not sleep, it _did_ explain why he was always tired. Then again he was a college boy-- _those_ are always tired.

Lucy had gotten up to grab her bowl of food from the microwave when she remembered she hadn't grabbed her mail in days. She hadn't even checked. Usually the only reason she ever went to check because Natsu was there after school. Since that seemed to have evolved, it's like her mail served no purpose now.

Served no purpose other than the fact she had bills to pay and responsibility to act on, at least.

Figuring her soup could wait a few more minutes, Lucy snatched her keys and slipped on some shoes before wandering down to her lobby. Before she had even gotten a few feet out of her front door, a group of women in party hats and obnoxious feather scarves came stumbling out of the elevator.

 _Must be a bachelorette party._ Lucy silently smiled as she waited for them to leave and then stepping into the lift once they exited. The girls' voices grew softer as the doors closed her in. Surely they were a little tipsy but certainly happy. On her way down, she might have recognized the tenant in her building. But who knew.

Now in her lobby, with only a few lights on since it was past closing time, Lucy dug out her keys. Rifling through her mailbox, Lucy turned her head to look over her shoulder at the glass entry doors as the familiar buzzing of a doorbell went outside. After a moment, there was _click_ and the doors unlocked.

Lucy turned away, not wanting to socialize with whatever visitor was coming for the night. She saw a flash of navy blue and black, and a bit of gold--was that a police officer?

Tucking her mail under one arm, Lucy locked up her mailbox before turning to the man. His head was ducked down, clearly not wanting to be seen, but Lucy sucked in a deep breath as she cleared her throat and asked, "Gray?"

The man stopped in his tracks and gave a very literal cringe. A _cringe_. Lucy's self esteem went out the door. But sure enough the man turned around, his hand tugging the police cap off his head to reveal a mop of shaggy black hair. "Hey, Lucy."

Ignoring his awkwardly forced smile, Lucy cocked her head to the side at him. "Why are you in my apartment this late at night?" Her tone deadpanned bluntly.

Gray's mouth was open, but he didn't really say anything. He just shuffled back and forth from foot to foot, his hands wringing out his cap.

"Mavis," Lucy murmured, her chest falling with a heavy sigh. "You literally are a stripper."

∞

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nalu Lemon Novel  
> Exy Koroleva © 2016  
> Thank you for reading.  
> Some triggering scenes  
> to be included, so please  
> do not report. Comments  
> & votes are appreciated.
> 
> needed to add more because  
> the last chappie just wasn't  
> smutty enough xox [unedited  
> so please ignore typos]


	20. chapter » nineteen

Seeing Gray in a faux police uniform had Lucy rather taken aback. After a moment or two of just standing there in the lobby, Gray finally took a breath to speak.

"Okay, so I _might_ be a stripper." He said, his shoulders lifting and falling into a simple little shrug. "What's your point."

That _was_ Lucy's point. "I thought Natsu was kidding when he said you were a stripper. I--I just thought--"

"That I prefer to be naked? There's that, too." The ravenette rolled his eyes in an all too relaxed motion. "Natsu doesn't know. Erza does, but trust me when I say I wasn't too keen on telling her."

Lucy lifted her hands up to her shoulders in a gesture of surrender. "Believable. Would you be up for explaining after your-- _session_?"

Gray was silent a moment before snorting in laughter. "Mavis, blondie, please don't call it a _session_. I'm not a prostitute."

The blonde pouted her lips softly, having not meant it that way at all; then again, she was a bit of an oblivious girl. "You remember where my apartment is. Just come by when you're done. With your clothes on."

The fake cop before her tipped his hat at her before securing it over his waterfall of black hair again. "Yes, Miss Lucy." He assured her. Jabbing his thumb into the up button on the elevator, Gray rocked back and forth on his heels for a moment.

"Good." Lucy confirmed with a nod of her head. Her mail felt heavy in her sweating palms.

Gray stepped into the open elevator, his hand pressing up on the buttons. He stood there in silence for a moment, slipping his fingers through the waist of his black belt. "Well? You coming up or not?"

Lucy's eyes widened in realization that just standing there would do her no good. "Right." She said quickly, jogging over to hop inside the lift with him.

The blonde felt her cheeks heat up for a moment. "It's just it kinda seemed like we already said goodbye--"

"I know." Gray chuckled, comfortably staring at the reflectively gold doors in front of them as they ascended.

Lucy's chest rose and fell shallowly as she hugged her mail to her chest. Sure, this was an odd situation to be in, but she felt more than lucky that she _knew_ Gray, let alone befriended him. Because things would be much more awkward had Lucy been riding the elevator with a stripper she didn't know at near midnight. At least now she could say she knew that stripper. And she was oddly proud of that fact.

Lucy Heartfilia, friends with a stripper. She must have written _that_ in her dream diary when she was eight.

Pressing her lips together was all she could do to restrain the smile creeping up her face.

∞

Her smile diminished five hours later when she was more than tired and answered the door to an equally exhausted Gray. Leaving the door open for him, Lucy walked away into her apartment. "There's glitter in your hair."

Gray was locking up her front door when his eyes widened. He pulled out his phone, looking into the dark glass of his screen to shake out the sparkling flakes from his hair like dandruff. Clearing his throat, Gray kicked off his shoes and followed her. "How was your night?"

"It's three in the morning and I'm talking to a stripper." Lucy shrugged. She scooped loose tea leaves out from their tin and dumped it into the top of the colander. "Pretty good I guess. You?"

Gray leaned against the kitchen wall as he watched her work. "Fairly decent. I made money to make girls squeal without even having to touch them."

"Lucky you." Lucy drew out semi-sarcastically. As the tea brewed, she looked over her shoulder at Gray's smug face and gestured him over. "Come on, wash up. Are you hungry?"

The raven haired man uncrossed his arms from his chest and let them sway at his sides as he walked. "Mother Lucy, you're rivaling Mother Erza's spot on the squad."

Hanging her head slightly, Lucy leaned against the kitchen counter. "You know I don't _have_ to feed you."

Just like that, Gray pushed up his hands and stuck them under the kitchen faucet to wash up. Being at a strange house full of drunk women made Lucy worry for both of their sanitary states now. Gray, however, used more than plenty of soap, squishing his palms together and playing with the suds in a childish manner.

"How much money did you make tonight?" Lucy asked nonchalantly. She buried her head in the refrigerator to find something for him to eat and to keep her awake.

Grabbing a towel for his hands, Gray narrowed his eyes at her. "Why?" He asked carefully.

The blonde just shrugged as she grabbed some eggs from the fridge. "I was wondering if I could bribe you into paying me for my hospitality." She replied with a slight grin.

Gray was careless with his laugh, his mouth falling open in a disbelieving _o_ shape. "Well, that's what all real friends do." He said in justification.

Lucy affirmatively nodded her head. Grabbing a pan from below the counter, she placed it on and heated up the stove. Her friend just cocked his head at her and asked, "What are you making?"

There was a sharp _crack_ and the hiss of sizzling as Lucy cracked an egg into the skillet. "Breakfast."

And it went like that: friends sleeping over for breakfast food at the early hours of the morning after a long night out. Lucy never had that, and she hadn't even realized what this moment _truly was_ until she sat down on the couch with him to eat, their lower bodies draped in blankets and legs pushing at each other in battle for more sofa space.

Gray gave up the fight and drew his legs into his chest. "If I knew you made such killer omelets then I would've told you I was a stripper long ago."

Lucy snorted. "If I knew you were a stripper than I'd have you pick up the coffee tab way more often." There was a moment she was estimating just how much money he made until the image of bills of money being tucked into his crotch made her mouth go sour. She forced down her bite of food before willing the thought away.

As Gray poked at the yellowed eggs on his plate, Lucy hardly noticed the smile quirk up the corner of her mouth. Suddenly feeling tired didn't feel so _tiring_ , like she could fall asleep right there in his company and be completely content in the fact she was comfortable around him, not like family and not like lovers and not like friends, but something with a piece of all of those in a simply platonic way.

"Do you like what you do?" Lucy piped up, pulling apart and playing with her food out of habit.

The man across from her just grunted softly. "It's fine. Not exactly something that would make people proud...but it gets the job done."

Trying to make people proud, Lucy thought, was a complete waste of time. She flashed Gray a coy smile in hopes of lightening his mood. "Not to mention you get to give some nice little bachelorettes a bit of innocent happiness for a night."

Gray smiled with half of his mouth, his jaw gritting softly. "It would be. But that's not really my thing." He said, his eyes locking with Lucy's and narrowing suggestively. "You know... _females_."

And with that, Lucy's denseness had stooped down to Natsu's level. It wasn't until Gray took a bite of omelet with his dark obsidian eyes widened with fake innocence at her that Lucy made a small 'ah' sound of realization.

"And you never cared to mention that before?" Lucy had to reach over and set her plate of half eaten food on the coffee table. "I mean, what about that poor girl at the café who keeps flirting with you?"

Gray shrugged bluntly, obviously not having cared about her. "I don't have the heart to let her down. Besides, the little hearts she puts by my name on my coffee makes me feel special."

Lucy and Gray each shared a wild snort of laughter at the casualness of it all. A poor, seemingly sweet woman was in love with a gay man who just used it to his advantage to get good coffee. A daily routine, perfectly normal. Normal was nonexistent for Lucy, and it seemed so for her friends as well.

"You know, that's where I got them from." Gray said, swallowing the food in his mouth before elaborating. "The bruises. They aren't from Loke, they're from Lyon. Apparently he's that girl's boyfriend or something."

Lucy furrowed her brows. For once she was reveling in someone else's drama and it felt _great_ to not be involved first hand, just watch or listen like an in-real-life drama show. "Why is she flirting with you if she has a boyfriend?"

Gray just rolled his eyes as if it was obvious. "I said ' _or something_ ,' Lucy, that implies that they aren't official and I don't know."

At least his level of sass made sense now. Lucy huffed a clumpy strand of blonde hair away from her face. "Why don't you just tell Lyon you're gay then? _Problem-o solved_."

Lucy wondered if that had been what was happening the day Lyon pushed past her so quickly during school that the strap on her bag broke. She could just imagine him saying: _'Sorry! I have to go beat up a gay guy because the girl I want to date hits on him! I'll see you next week!_ ' Enticing.

"Right, sounds like a great idea." Gray mumbled, stuffing the rest of his food in his mouth in a record time that would rival Natsu's speed-eating. "Just proclaim my gay-ity to him to keep him from fighting me."

It truly did sound like a great idea, so Lucy didn't understand. "First off, it's _homosexuality,_ not _gay-ity_. Second, what's the big deal? You get one less fight to worry about."

Gray snorted as he set his plate down on the coffee table. "Coming out doesn't solve anything, Lucy. It never has and it never will."

The blonde shifted uncomfortably on the couch as Gray seemed to draw his legs in closer to his body. Lucy knew that position, the ' _I-just-want-to-curl-up-and-disappear_ ' position. "Says who?"

"It just doesn't!" Gray said again, his blackened eyes looking at hers a moment before darting off again. "Loke hated me for it. My family did. Why wouldn't anyone else?"

Lucy's brown eyes widened again. "Oh my Mavis--"

Gray just rolled his eyes. "Yes, Lucy, I'm gay. The shock factor is a little late on you." He mumbled, black eyes rolling in annoyance.

Grumbling, Lucy reached out and kicked him with her foot. "Not that!" She hissed.

Gray smacked her away semi-playfully and semi-angrily. "Then what?"

Lucy wasn't sure whether to let her lips curl into a smile or just keep a strong, sympathetic face for Gray's sake. "You love him, don't you?"

It didn't take much of an answer: Lucy knew by the way he deflected his gaze, the same way she had when Gray had asked her about Natsu. "You're in love with Loke."

∞ _._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nalu Lemon Novel  
> Exy Koroleva © 2016  
> Thank you for reading.  
> Some triggering scenes  
> to be included, so please  
> do not report. Comments  
> & votes are appreciated


	21. chapter » twenty

"Him? I can't believe you're in love with him."

"Shut up. At least I know my feelings."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Natsu's in love with you, you know, and all you two ever do is touch each other's butts."

"You're so immature."

"As are you."

"Why did I let you in here!" Lucy shouted in partial annoyance and partial laughter. She chucked the throw pillow at Gray over her head.

He managed to miss it just slightly. With a simple push of his hand, Gray smoothed his shaggy hair away from his eyes. "I'm irresistible to women." He cooed.

Lucy rolled her eyes at his hypnotic voice. "Yeah, a lotta good that does you." Her tongue poked out between her teeth childishly.

Unable to argue with that, Gray just shrugged and stuck his tongue out as well. "You know...Loke never hated me because I was gay."

Lucy was unsure if he was saying that to convince himself or her. It was Loke of all people--it would be less than a surprise if he did hate Gray for such a thing. "You don't think?"

Gray's lips twitched, the pale skin debating whether or not to smile or frown and somehow doing both in the process. "I told him I was gay before I had to courage to tell him I even liked him remotely. He seemed fine."

Feeling her own lips purse, Lucy bit down on them to hide her expressions. Her emotions had a habit of getting out of hand; it was easier to suppress them entirely. "Things aren't always what they seem."

Her nails picked at the cuticles of her fingers as she looked for any reason to distract herself from the topic of love. It was uncomfortable, and not in the germy way she was so used to; it was uncomfortable, uncharted, unknown territory. She couldn't spray some alcohol on it and clean it. Love was messier than anything.

"I just wish Natsu wasn't so protective over it." Gray refused to look at Lucy as she refused to look at him, both staring at their empty hands as if they were thinking about who possible could have been holding them. "It's nice, in a way, but--bothersome."

"He's trying." Lucy spoke quietly, her soft voice delving fifty shades more velvety and serene. "He tries so hard. I don't get it."

Gray sat up on the couch a little bit. Among a blur of dark hair and pale skin, Lucy looked at Gray as she caught him finally looking at her through her peripherals. "Some people care about other people a lot more than they care about themselves, you know?"

Lucy couldn't help but laugh softly. "You think Natsu doesn't care about himself?"

The other man just scoffed. "Have you seen the way he eats?"

Among the slight shaking of her stomach as she laughed, she found her shaky nerves to be calmed as Gray laid his head down on her lap. Her legs stopped fidgeting and kicking against his. Just a headful of long black hair cascaded over the tops of her thighs as Gray turned his body and used her lap for a pillow.

A couple gold flecks of glitter dotted Lucy's legs.

"You're getting glitter on my couch." Lucy said blankly. Her hands threaded through the mess of hair on his scalp.

Gray's shoulder's gave the weakest shrug. "It's a memento of me being here. You're welcome."

Her chest inflated and deflated subtly with the even breaths she took as Lucy laid her head on the backrest of the couch. You're an idiot, Lucy thought tiredly. Thank you.

∞

He doesn't care about himself. The words repeated over again in Lucy's mind as she held the tray of food in her hands. Have you seen what he eats?

Natsu's head of pink hair caught her attention as soon as she stepped out onto the courtyard. He sat underneath the tree the larger boy with the headphones always used to sit under, but the blonde guy seemed to be AWOL today.

Natsu didn't even notice her until Lucy was right in front of him and beginning to sit down cross-legged on the grass in front of him. The cafeteria tray slid off her lap and onto the ground. "Afternoon." Lucy greeted warmly.

With a smile stretching ear to ear, Natsu nodded his head a little bit and made a subtle hap-tipping gesture. "M'lady." He cooed before looking down at the food she brought. He lit up like a lantern. "I forgot my money, you're like my guardian angel."

A sound just faintly louder than a giggle escaped Lucy's lips. "No problem. Here, I got you a burrito." Pulling the thin knit gloves off her hands, Lucy grabbed the foil-wrapped food and handed it to Natsu.

It was rather cold out still, nippy and harsh-winded, but nothing that would bother her too much. She heard the foil crackling as Natsu peeled it back and began to eat yet found trouble trying to pick up her own food.

It wasn't packaged. It wasn't her usual vending machine sandwich put together in a sanitary factory but clean workers and machines--even if it wasn't always that healthy. This was a normal burrito, made by sloppy, untrusted lunch ladies. But Natsu hadn't die yet, had he?

Lucy grabbed the burrito and picked at the edges of the wrapper to unfold it. Just as the edge of the tortilla began to peek out at her, Natsu made a retching noise.

"What, are you sick?" Lucy sat forward on her knees as Natsu coughed, his nose upturned in disgust. The pinkette just shook his head, but Lucy knew it had to be the untrustworthy, sickening lunch ladies.

"What is this?" Natsu composed himself just long enough to pry at his burrito and pull out a thin and green slice. "Is this...lettuce?"

Lucy leaned away from him. "Yes."

Natsu flicked the chopped up lettuce from his hand as he retched again. "I can't believe you tried to make me eat a vegetable." He breathed in deeply.

It was silent for a moment, a moment just long enough for Lucy to make up her mind on whether wanting to hit him or not. She grabbed the crumpled up tinfoil from his burrito and chucked it at his face. "Don't act like that over lettuce, you scared me!"

The other boy simply huffed, but he grabbed his burrito regardless. "I said thank you for the food, didn't I?"

The blonde shrugged. "You implied it." She corrected.

With lips slightly pursed, Natsu brought his burrito to his face again and quietly said, "Well, thanks."

Lucy nipped at the corner of her tortilla, pulling a sliver of it into her mouth. At least she couldn't taste germs, or she may be retching, too. "You're welcome."

Perhaps Natsu was a good enough distraction, but Lucy found herself not entirely wrapped around the idea of disgust and disease as she ate. She just stared at Natsu was a wry, half-smile as he ate, picking at and playing with his food like a child.

"Do you really want me to meet your family still?" Lucy asked after swallowing a lump of black beans and sour cream. It was decent considering it was cafeteria food.

Without looking at her, Natsu continued to pick the lettuce from his burrito as he said, "Actually, I want them to meet you. You're cooler than them, so I kinda just want to rub it in their face." He admitted. Despite the harsh words, Natsu was oblivious to the insults he had thrown. "But yeah. I really do."

Lucy set her burrito down on her lap. Her cheeks flushed with both pride and embarrassment at Natsu's explanation. "I want to. Having a family dinner sounds pretty nice."

Natsu paused everything he was doing. A lump appeared in his throat as he swallowed the bite of food that was sitting in his mouth. "Really? I mean, they can be a handful, so if you want to do something else we c--"

"How about tonight? If that's too early, I'm free this weekend." Lucy's chest opened up as she took a deep breath, her blood rushing through her veins as if just talking about having dinner was an adrenaline rush in itself.

Natsu was still silent, skeptical. He didn't believe she could handle it; Lucy didn't blame it. Regardless, she gave him a wider smile as he nodded his head simply and said, "No, no. I'll call them. Tell 'em we're coming over tonight."

Luckily, Natsu was an open spirit. He was spontaneous, which was much, much more than Lucy was. Having a dinner with an anchor like him would be a breeze, she hoped, she prayed.

"I'll come by your apartment when my next lecture is over." Lucy grabbed her burrito again, the half-eaten food looking ten times more appealing than it did five minutes ago. "It'll be nice."

Natsu stuffed the last bite of food in his mouth. Though Lucy smiled as she ate, she watched his eyes dart uneasily back and forth. But she knew he had no reason to worry; tonight would turn out great. She was drunk on good intentions.

Though even with her high hopes, the world had a habit of crushing them.

∞

_Nalu Lemon Novel_  
_Exy Koroleva © 2016_  
_Thank you for reading._  
_Some triggering scenes_  
_to be included, so please_  
_do not report. Comments_  
_& votes are appreciated._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my anxiety has been high lightly so sorry about the lack of updates and some typos. more is coming quickly


	22. chapter » twenty one

At this point, high hopes were inevitable.

Lucy knew her hands were shaking, as well as the rest of her body, buzzing with excitement and anxiety all at once, yet she couldn't get it to stop. She wasn't sure if she wanted it to stop; it was such a good type of nervous, a good type of fear.

Dressing in a few layers to beat the cold outside only helped calm her shaking limbs minutely; beneath her thick jeans and cozy sweatshirt, she was still trembling. Her feet managed to walk in a straight line, however, as she made way down to Natsu's floor and across the hall to his apartment door.

Her knuckles knocked against his front door only once before it swung open fiercely. Her fist still risen midair in the absence of the door, Natsu stood before her, beaming with tenacity. "It's about time."

How long he had been waiting behind that door for her, Lucy may never know. Her hand just dropped down in silent awe for a moment. "I told you I'd get here when my lecture was over."

The puppyish expression swam back up to the surface of Natsu's face. "But you never told me when it was over."

"Oh." Lucy had never bothered to tell him, because no one had ever bothered to listen like he did. What was the point in speaking if no one cared? "Sorry."

Natsu's shoulders shrugged once simply. He grabbed a thin black zip-up from the coat rack on the back of his door. With very graceless movements, he wiggled one arm into the jacket sleeve and closed up his apartment door with the other. Even less gracefully, he switched arms and locked up while flinging his other arm in it's sleeve.

Lucy's lips pressed together to keep from smiling too much. Her feet took a step back, just nearly dodging Natsu's flailing arm as he stuffed it in his sleeve. The pinkette didn't realize how childish he seemed as he turned around and held out his hand for Lucy.

Her gloved palm slid into his, legs walking in equal strides beside each other as they made their way out of the building. "You're sure your family doesn't mind me coming over so last minute?"

The air outside was bitter cold; Lucy threaded her arm through Natsu's to keep close. "My uncle won't. I mean, he's grumpy and it may look like he's always annoyed, but that's just his face."

Lucy nodded her head once, taking a little hop over the curb as she and Natsu stood at the bus stop. "It's just his face. Got it."

"Exactly. So if he's always staring at you like he wants to kill you, he most likely doesn't." Natsu's canines glittered white with his grin.

The city bus pulled up before them and Lucy's breath came out in a puff as equally visible as the vehicle's exhaust. "How reassuring." She grumbled.

Her hand never left Natsu's as she walked up onto the bus; he was always there behind her, his fingers laced with hers, the sound of his footsteps right behind her as a reassuring force. The late into the afternoon had the bus crowded; the two of them stood, both hanging on a metal pole for support.

Natsu's hand wrapped up around the hand strap for balance. His side, open and warm, looked so appealing. Lucy took the welcoming chance and slipped into his side, wrapping her arm around his torso rather than the pole. So much warmer.

The bus ride was silent albeit the white noise around them; other people's conversations, the whirring of the engine, the steady sound of Natsu's heartbeat as her head laid in the crook of his body. It was all over too soon; by the time Natsu pointed out their stop, Lucy had wished the little moments with him could last longer.

The stupid, meaningless, silent, awkward, absolutely perfect moments.

The neighborhood Natsu's family lived in seemed so suburban and normal Lucy had immediately begun to feel a twinge of jealousy. Sure, he was adopted, but he probably had a family that deserved it's own televised sitcom.

Turned out, she was right about that.

The second Natsu rang the door bell, clattering inside the two-story suburban home became so loud she wondered if an entire scrapyard was inside of there. Her hand clenched tighter around Natsu's; perhaps this was too rushed.

Natsu only kept pressing the doorbell, the incessant dinging the annoying children made on Halloween night. Lucy was about to smack his hand away and tell him to be a little more patient with his own family when the door swung open.

Behind the screen door was a middle-aged with shoulder-length, graying hair. He was impossible tall, his skin roughed up with scars and facial scruff like a mechanic. His piercing gray eyes locked with Natsu's before pushing open the door and attacking him in a bear hug.

"Natsu!" The older man bellowed so loudly it startled Lucy. His voice was raspy like a chain-smoker. Lucy dropped her hand from Natsu's as the two of them circled each other in a hug as if they hadn't seen each other in years, though she knew he visited often.

"I told you I was coming over, don't act so surprised." Natsu sheepishly smiled as he and the man pulled apart. "This is Lucy, the one I was telling you about."

In that very moment, the blonde knew exactly what Natsu meant by him having a "mean face"; his eyes were bright but narrowed, a square jaw coated in a bit of overgrown stubble, and a few smaller piercings on his ear made his seem so harsh.

"Hi" was all Lucy could manage. It even took her a second to raise her hand out in a polite gesture. "You must be his uncle?"

The man nodded. "Yeah, that's me. You can call me--"

"Firecrotch, is that you?"

Another deep and rough with anger - perhaps it was just his voice, who knew - bellowed from behind Natsu's uncle. Lucy peered around him to see inside just as a tall boy around Natsu's age walked up behind them and leaned against the doorframe.

His skin was a deep olive shade, eyes so brown they seemed red. His raven hair reached down his shoulder blades, pulled into a black bandana. Grease-stains and scratches covered his bar arms, combat boots stomping the ground underneath his baggy cargo pants.

"Gajeel, I'm not even a redhead." Natsu's teeth were clenched as he spoke under his breath. "That nickname only goes for redheads."

The black haired man scoffed, the piercings along his eyebrows moving as he made a twisted grin. "Please, you know I call you firecrotch because of that time you set yourself on fire when we were--"

"Lucy's here, you know." Natsu raised up his leg and kicked Gajeel right in the shin. The taller boy made a sour face yet didn't even flinch.

It took both of them a moment to calm down, though once they did they both turned the spotlight on Lucy. She found herself the center of attention to a crazy uncle, a boy who looked like a delinquent, and a boy who had a habit of setting his pants on fire - at least that was what came to Lucy's mind.

"Hi." Was that all she was able to say? Lucy had mentally punched herself in the shoulder.

"What, is that all you know how to say?" Natsu's uncle just laughed and threw his arm around Lucy's shoulder as if they were best buds. At least we're on the same page, she thought.

"Natsu told you about me?" Lucy smiled vaguely as he eyes wandered from his uncle towards Natsu. "I hope only the good things."

Gajeel scoffed again as he took a step back inside, obviously done with the situation. "Only the good things? Please, with all the good things he says about you I was beginning to think you were fake."

"That would be my older brother, Gajeel." Natsu took the moment to change the subject. His ears burned red with embarrassment, making Lucy smile wider than she had all day.

"Not by blood!" Gajeel was quick to point out. He stuffed a small rag back into his butt pocket before giving a sarcastic smile. "He's adopted."

Natsu gave an equally sarcastic bow. "Thanks for pointing that out, Captain Obvious. And that's--"

"Natsu's Uncle Cana." The middle-aged man finally separated himself from Lucy enough to finally shake her hand. It seemed a bit awkward hugging her and then accepting her hand shake, but Lucy didn't comment.

She just smiled, her hand gripping his. "It's nice to finally meet you."

Cana smiled back, his crooked grin having an almost insane sort of look to it. He looked like a biker or something, not a dad who lived in the suburbs. "Mavis, you're shaking. Getting cold out, huh?"

Lucy nodded blankly. The temperature outside was the least of her issues, but he didn't need to know. Once they were inside, Cana locked up again and checked the thermostat.

"How ironic the Natsu couldn't keep you warm." Gajeel now leaned against the wall, looking like Judd Nelson from The Breakfast Club. "You know, considering he's such a hot head."

Lucy pulled off her gloves slowly and stuffed them in the pocket of her jacket. "So there truly is a meaning to the nickname." She smiled slyly yet Natsu shot her a look of betrayal as if to say, 'how dare you bring it up again.'

As she kicked off her shoes, Gajeel nodded his head in joy. "Well, firecrotch is more of a reference to the time he set his pants on fire. He was kind of a pyro when he was younger, made us really worry about him."

Gajeel's fake pout disappeared into a condescending smile as Natsu punched his arm so roughly Lucy rubbed her own bicep in empathy. "That's rich coming from the kid who tore apart the shed in our backyard to make a motor for your bike that ended up blowing up."

Natsu's brother's face went dim. "At least I was doing something cool! You just lit stuff on fire for no reason."

"Stop fighting!" Cana shouted.

It was useless; they may not be blood brothers, but it was enough to keep them bickering.

"I said shut up!" Cana yelled again; and again, no response.

Lucy looked from Natsu to Gajeel to Cana standing in the kitchen to Natsu again. The sitcom theme was becoming a great idea in her mind.

Uncle Cana sighed. "Food's ready!"

Gajeel and Natsu both pushed each other away before running past Lucy towards the kitchen. "Coming!"

She really hadn't expected them to do so much just for her. It was unnecessary and completely kind, something she never got often. Lucy took the open seat at the little round table for four. It was crowded with food, not the kind of lush setting her family had. This was small and intimate.

This was the kind of spot that reminded Lucy of Erza and Emily. They didn't have much, yet being so close to each other seemed to be enough. Natsu sat beside her, his leg brushing up against hers in that reassuring way as before. Cana was at Lucy's right, Gajeel across from her.

Natsu had only looked at Lucy briefly before arguing with Gajeel again. It was harsh and loud, but they didn't seem so violent. It was teasing, a terrible kind of sarcasm most people saw as genuine hatred. Lucy knew she would rather argue with Natsu for days then not talk to him at all.

As Lucy grabbed the bowl of dinner rolls Cana passed her, she knew that was the best kind of intimacy: the kind where everyone else thinks it's arguing and hate, yet you know it's nothing but love. It was almost a secret code, like no one else would know how much they mean to you until they experience it themselves.

∞

_Nalu Lemon Novel_   
_Exy Koroleva © 2016_   
_Thank you for reading._   
_Some triggering scenes_   
_to be included, so please_   
_do not report. Comments_   
_& votes are appreciated._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> p.s. "cana" is short for metalicana for anyone confused


	23. chapter » twenty two

Natsu must have really hates peas.

He sat there across from Lucy with every crumb of his dinner roll and every flake of his chicken guzzled down into his stomach, yet he pushed a lump of peas around on his plate like a dog skeptically pawing at pebbles.

"Are you and Natsu the same age then?" Lucy turned her head to Gajeel in attempt to make conversation. It was clear from a mile away they were not blood related, but Gajeel had a weathered look that made him look like he could be older than he really was.

Gajeel just gave one of his infamous grunts as he grabbed the bowl of potatoes and scooped it onto his plate. "No. I'm a couple years older, I just never went to school."

He did not seem too keen on talkin, so Lucy looked away from his harsh gaze and back across at Natsu. Cana, however, did not let the silence last long. "Gajeel's actually becoming a mechanic."

"Dad." Gajeel hissed like an embarrassed child.

Cana huffed and leaned back in his chair. He really was a sturdy man; the resemblance between he and his son was evident. "He's going to follow in mine and Natsu's father's footsteps and join the air force."

"Dad!" Gajeel hissed yet again. Lucy could hardly contain her smile; apparently the ability to be embarrassed by your parents never truly does fade with age.

Seeing his son's reddened face made Cana's smile stretch maliciously from ear to ear. "Gajeel always did want to be like his daddy."

The raven haired man growled and pushed his chair away from the table. "I'm done with this conversation. I'm going to the shed to work on my smelting." Gajeel grumbled something else under his breath before standing up and walking away.

Cana sighed softly. Once Gajeel was gone, he smiled wryly and looked at Lucy. "Unfortunately short tempers run in the family. Hopefully Natsu hasn't been too hot-tempered around you?" He cocked his head teasingly.

Lucy wasn't sure what to answer; upon looking at Natsu, his face was still calm, too focused on playing with his peas to actually pay attention to the conversation.

"No, he's a bit too oblivious to ever be angry." Lucy laughed softly along with Cana. "Can I help you clean up?"

Cana ran his hand along his stubbly chin for a moment before standing up and gathering some plates into his arms. "Not many of the girls these two bring back are as thoughtful as you."

Something about that made Lucy beam with pride. She grabbed the plate from Natsu, causing him to stop playing with peas and look at her like a dejected puppy - which she ignored. "Really?"

Cana nodded, balancing the stack of plates on his forearm. "Gajeel always brings back the trouble makers. Though lately not so much. I'm not sure whether that should worry or appease me."

Lucy grabbed a pile of silverware into her hand. Trying to avoid the nasty bits of food on the prongs, she smiled as comfortable as she could. "Maybe he's grown up and found someone else."

Both Natsu and Cana snorted at that. "If he found a girl he better bring her home soon." Cana muttered with a small smile.

Natsu laughed even harder. "No girl actually likes Gajeel. That'd be weird." He stood up and grabbed a drinking glass to make it look like he was helping.

"Careful," Cana warned as he moved off to the kitchen. "If you two get into a fight and break the wall again you're paying for it this time."

Now that was a sentence Lucy had never heard from her family before. Not only did she never have siblings to fight with, but her family paid for everything with no questions asked. She didn't really miss it.

Natsu and Lucy dumped the dirty dishes into the sink. She grabbed her sleeves and tugged at the cuffs, debating on whether or not she should clean them by hand. It would certainly make her look good to Cana, but leftover food always peeved her -

Before she could do anything, Natsu grabbed her hand and laced their fingers tightly. "It was great seeing you uncle, but we should go. It's late, and I promised a friend I'd meet up with them tonight."

Lucy furrowed her brows. "Who-"

But he cut her off again. Natsu wrapped his arm around Cana and gave him a half-hug before pulling away. Lucy waved a slight goodbye as Natsu dragged her away. "Thanks for having me!"

She barely had time to pull her jacket back on over her arms by the time they were on the sidewalk outside his family's house. Her arms flung around to get into the sleeves, but once she did she hit Natsu's shoulder. "What was that?" She hissed.

Natsu slipped his free hand into his pocket. "My uncle's house..." He trailed off as if the question confused him - which it did. "Seriously, Lucy, pay attention."

That time Lucy kicked him in the shin. "I'm serious, why did you leave like that? Your uncle probably thinks I'm rude now."

The pink haired boy snorted in dismissal. "Please, when Cana was in basic training, my dad accidentally set fire to their bunk bed. Cana just thought it was funny. It takes way more to offend him that leaving dinner early."

Lucy couldn't focus on much other than the fact pyromania seemed to run in the family. "Was your grandfather known for setting things on fire, too?"

"If so, I'm sure he'd be proud." Natsu's smile doubled in size.

The blonde couldn't really deny him any longer; she grabbed his hand again, slipping her fingers through his. "Who are we going to see then?"

"No one."

Lucy stopped dead in her tracks, but Natsu was strong enough to keep tugging her along. "Well, where are we going?" It was nearly impossible to keep her irritated tone down.

"Loosen up, Luce." Natsu smiled a bit at the way his words rhymed like that. "It's a surprise. I just have something to show you."

A soft sigh escaped her lips; despite how irritated she may be with his antics, it wasn't really that annoying. If anything, his whimsical spirit was what made him so appealing.

She walked along beside him, her palm warm in his, trying to keep their steps in sync with each other while each step closer to the surprise.

  
∞

"Wow, my apartment. What a surprise."

Lucy stood before her own apartment door with a look of absolute bewilderment - scratch that, disappointment - on her face. She was hoping for bewilderment. This was far from.

Natsu leaned against the wall beside her door, smile wide and out like he just performed an amazing magic trick. "Come on, if I told you we were coming back home you would've known and it would have been a boring night."

One brow raised on Lucy's skeptical face. "Yes, but now you have just created the biggest disappointed of the week. Maybe not the month, because it's only the twelfth, but certainly the week."

The pink haired boy gave her a pouty lip as he inched closer to her. His arms slid around her waist, locking in the back to keep her close to him. Head leaning in, his brushed the tip of his nose gently against hers. "Words hurt, Luce."

Lucy cleared her throat in an attempt to bring herself back to reality. "Well...so do false surprises."

Natsu sighed and dipped his head down slightly, lips grazing against the line of her jaw. "Well then I'll make it up to you."

Lucy's teeth tugged nervously at her lip. "Let me guess," she began in a small voice. "Ramen and sitcom reruns?"

The boy clinging to her nodded his head slightly at the idea before dismissing it all together. "I was thinking something else, really."

His hand slipped into her pocket and grabbed her keys. The high-pitched jingling was the only sound in the hallways besides their heavy breathing. Natsu took a moment to open the door, but the slight popping of the lock was music to their ears.

Their bodies still clinging together, the couple rather ungracefully stumbled inside. Legs tangled together as they struggled to kick off their shoes. The zipper on Lucy's jacket as Natsu pulled it lower made a sound she never thought could be so beautiful.

Her hands gripped his shoulders as he gripped her jacket. Pressed chest to chest, their heads tilted together as if sharing the same thoughts. In a cloud of warm breath, their lips connected.

The overcoat was pulled from Lucy's arms and fell to the floor beside the untidy shoes. Natsu's hands were too quick shifting up under her shirt, grabbing on to bare skin, tugging at the lining of her pants. His chest remained solid but rising and falling rapidly as Lucy pressed her hands against him, grabbing fistfuls of cloth in her hands.

Her hands moved from his chest to his hair, running her fingers through it like wild velvet. Natsu's touch grew harder, warmer, until he took a step back, then another, pulling her with him through the hall. One of his hands ran along the wall to guide him without looking; he was too lost in the taste of her mouth.

Lucy refused to let go of his shirt, even when Natsu pushed open the door to Lucy's bedroom and backed inside. It was tiny, barely fitting both a bed and a dresser, but it only required the need to be closer.

The back of Lucy's knees hit the edge of the bed and she tumbled down. Splayed across the mattress, her hands tugged at his shirt. Natsu rose his arms above his head and she pulled the unnecessary clothing away.

She did not have long to savor the feeling of his skin beneath her fingertips. Natsu's mission was her; he pushed her shirt up over her breasts, feeling the plush mounds of skin beneath her bra. Her mouth opened just enough to let out a harsh rush of air as he made her heart skip.

Natsu's hand retracted from her chest to trail down to her hips. He popped the button and tugged the jeans away from her wide hips. His rough actions scraped ever so slightly, yet the eagerness excited her. His teeth latched on to edge of her panties and pulled.

Nothing felt more erotic than the arch of Lucy's back as she felt his head dip between her thighs. Just one single action flared her skin and made her writhe, made her feel so normal, so lively.

The spreading heat of Natsu's hands as he gripped her thighs spread deeper to her center where his breath touched her mound. One swipe of his tongue through her folds made her voice break; two made her moan.

His lips attached around her clit, tongue lapping at her center like a dog thirsting for water, needing a taste to survive. Natsu's grip tightened to keep her body steady from writhing as he pressed his tongue deeper into her, rolling the bud roughly.

Lucy's back arched once more off the bed, and Natsu's hand came up to push her down again. One of her hands through his hair, the other gripping the sheets, Lucy let the orgasmic wave pass through her. His touch only became relentlessly harder against her.

She came, and she felt no shame in it. Her voice was not shy, but sexy. Her body was not hidden, but praised by him. Her gaze looked down at him laying between her legs and savored the look of his half-lidded eyes and plump mouth, red and flushed and wet.

And for the second time, he dipped his head between her legs and feasted on her again.

  
∞

_Nalu Lemon Novel_   
_Exy Koroleva © 2016_   
_Thank you for reading._   
_Some triggering scenes_   
_to be included, so please_   
_do not report. Comments_   
_& votes are appreciated._


	24. chapter » twenty three

Lucy typically loved class, especially astronomy, but today she could feel the ice in the room as if someone left the windows open for the cold air to blow in. She wouldn't be surprised to see snow on the lecture seats that tiered like a mini amphitheater.

He sat in her usual seat about right in the middle of the room for all the session. The short white-haired girl sat a seat over, and once again Lucy had that intrigue to talk to her, yet her artist's mind convinced her that watching from afar was much more beautiful than being up close.

In the seats in front and thus a little below Lucy sat Lyon. He looked a bit nervous and still just as bruised up as Gray. A thousand questions popped into Lucy's head like an investigator trying to interrogate a witness, but again, her mind told her to sit back and shut up.

Lucy turned her head a bit to watch the white haired girl; she had a thick grey poncho on that almost looked like a cape but also very warm. The girl was doodling something on a loose leaf paper with a pen during the last few minutes of cram hour.

It wouldn't hurt to say hello just once. Perhaps she'd be able to make a friend before winter break. The blonde opened her mouth, scooted a bit to the side--

"Hey, you're Lucy, right?" Suddenly a body came between her and the other girl, leaning over the table from the other side. Lyon's baggy blue and silver coat fell over the table like a blanket as he propped himself on his elbow.

Lucy tried her best not to sigh with disappointment in her failed social attempts. "Yeah. You're Lyon?"

The white haired male nodded, his smile sweet yet cocky at the same time, reminding her of a vaguely more sociable version of Gray. "I'm sorry about the other day when I broke your bag."

With a shrug of her slender shoulders, Lucy waved it away. "Don't worry about it. "You were in a hurry." A hurry to go fight my friend.

Lyon's smile was weak and nervous. "It was rude of me. Besides, it wasn't that important."

Lucy didn't like to pry into other people's business, but technically it was her business. It involved Gray and therefore it involved her. That's what friends were for. "It seemed like it was."

"Nah, it was just over some stupid girl." Right after Lyon said that his eyes widened. "She isn't stupid, but the whole event was stupid. You know what I mean."

"I get the gist." Lucy cracked a smile. "I hope she was worth it."

That was when Lyon grimaced. He hopped over the table and took the empty seat between Lucy and the white haired girl; the other girl glanced over just for a moment to see what kind of idiot was jumping tabletops before resuming her doodling.

"She thought I was an idiot." Lyon confessed.

Lucy formed an O with her mouth in faux-shock. "So you didn't exactly sweep her off her feet, huh?"

"Hardly." Lyon cleared his throat as if he was about to go through with a five-minute long speech. "See, she's in love with this other guy."

Lucy's conscious lit up like a lightbulb. Gray, of all people, in a fight over a girl. A true idiot he must be. "Let me guess, even with your efforts to woo her she still doesn't appreciate it?"

Lyon nodded his head appreciatively. "Exactly. She just wastes her time gawking over this guy who comes in to the café she works at and orders a coffee every day just to tease her or some shit. I mean, everyone knows she's in love with him. Only an asshole would play her like that."

Before Lucy had anything even slightly comforting to say, Lyon rambled on. "You know what's worse? The guy hardly even wears a shirt. He's so damn vain he must be a model or something vapid like that."

Lucy laughed weakly. "Something like that."

Lyon laid his chin in his hand while his other hand smoothed along the tabletop out of boredom. "I'm sorry your bag became the victim of my selfish love affairs."

They both smiled vaguely. "It's not a good love story if a couple things don't get broken out of desperation or spite."

"Also true." Lyon nodded his head before one corner of his lips pulled up in a half smile. "You, Lucy, are a very wise young woman."

The blonde bowed slightly in her seat. "I try my best."

As much as she wanted to defend Gray, the weirdest friend she has ever had, she found it hard. Their clique of friends when to that café so often that even Lucy had gotten used to all of Gray's to-go cups with a handwritten heart where the A in his name would usually go. Sometimes that blue haired barista's phone number would be scribbled on the bottom, but those were for rare occasions.

"You want to know what I think?" Lucy offered after a moment of silence. She turned to Lyon and took up the same slouched position as he.

The young man nodded and turned to her as if sharing top secret information. Lucy continued: "If she'd gawking over some other guy, forget her. One day when she realizes that guy isn't right for her she'll come to want a guy like you."

Lyon sucked in a deep breath, his lean chest puffing up in exasperation. "How do you know they won't run off together and fall in love?"

Lucy truly felt bad; Lyon was a hopeless romantic. And, as much as he would disagree, so was Gray. Gray, however, was so quiet and passive that he convinced himself he wasn't, just as Loke had. And Lucy wanted to make sure Lyon nor anyone else would become that emotionally oppressed.

"That's always how it works out." Lucy turned away from Lyon and stretched out her limbs a bit. A little flash of orange hair worked its way into her peripherals and Lucy secretly hoped Loke had heard every single word of their conversation. That ginger was a sly young man, so hopefully he wasn't as dense as Natsu or Gray.

"Where were you to give me advice last week?" Lyon wondered aloud before sighing almost dreamily.

Lucy tapped her fingers along the table in thought. "Probably home alone eating soup and watching sitcoms."

They both laughed quietly. "A perfect way to spend time if you ask me." Lyon said approvingly. "Well then, what other advice do you have for me, fairy godmother?"

Lucy didn't want to give just advice; she wanted to smack near he and Gray and Loke upside the head and tell them to grow up and deal with it. But for now, she just smiled. "Wait until she's ready to handle you. You can get swept off your feet and realize you can't handle the weight, so just wait until she's ready for you to appreciate her."

"Then what?"

"Well then appreciate the crap out of her and don't let her go." Lucy said immediately.

Both her and Lyon's lips pulled into the widest of smiles until their cheeks hurt. It was random and perhaps inappropriate for strangers to be so personal so soon, but Lucy loved it. Judging by the grin on Lyon's face, so did he.

"You look a little too eager to leave." Lyon noted after a moment. Lucy had her bag packed up and her coat on already.

She shrugged her shoulders simply again. "I am. I have a date." Lucy said rather shamelessly, yet she didn't say anything else; how rude it would be to talk about that after everyone Lyon had been through.

Lyon grinned anyway, and rather excitedly too. "I hope they're worth the adrenaline rush."

Lucy's cheeks warmed up. "Me too."

The clock on her phone struck the even hour and Lucy felt so free to leave that she stood up immediately. She could have left early but it would have been pointless; plus, she had hoped to make conversation with Yukino. Instead she got Lyon, who was not so bad.

Lucy and Lyon pushed in their chairs, and she tossed her bag over her shoulder so excitedly that it swung and hit Lyon on the arm. She went to apologize, but he just laughed and said, "Consider us even."

Lucy pulled her knit gloves on over her hands and skipped down the stairs towards the exit door. "It was nice talking to you! Have a good winter break!"

She waved slightly to Lyon who raised his hand in a salute as well. "I'll see you later, kid. Have a good date."

Lucy's ears reddened heavily. "Thank you!" She shouted again.

She pushed open the doors to the cold outdoors, but not before she heard Lyon shout a few more words of wisdom: "Appreciate the crap outta them and don't let 'em go!"

And she had every intention to do so.

∞

Lucy met Natsu outside their usual café downtown. He wore that same checkered scarf, his nose buried inside it to keep warm. When he saw Lucy, he lifted his head to reveal a broad smile and a nose pink like Rudolph.

"Sorry my lecture took so long today." Natsu apologized right away. His hand slipped into hers like it was a natural instinct by now.

The blonde waved it away dismissively. "It's alright. I was waiting around so I just talked to a new friend anyway."

"Awe, Luce made a new friend?" Natsu pouted his lips teasingly, one hand reaching up to give her a condescending pinch to the cheek which she smacked away quickly.

She shook her head before cracking a smile. "Why did you drag me out here, it's freezing. I want to go home."

"You go downstairs to get the mail and still say you want to go home, Luce. There is a word outside your apartment." Natsu assured her.

Lucy scrunched up her nose passively. "Hmm, no. I don't think so."

Natsu had nothing to say back; he just smiled and squeezed his hand around hers to make sure they would not let go before beginning to walk down the street. "I promise you'll like it."

There was a ninety percent chance that Lucy would not like it, but if she was with Natsu then she could not complain. Sure Natsu was easily entertained, but how bad could his idea of a date really be?

Turns out, quite bad. He lead her down the sidewalk past a row of tightly packed together shops until they came to a stop in front of the last place Lucy wanted to be: a tattoo parlor.

Natsu opened up the door and a little bell rung, giving off a high pitched sound that was much too cute for the dark interior. Lucy tugged the pink haired boy's hand. "Natsu, I--"

"What? We should totally get matching tattoos!" Natsu's smile lit up his entire face.

For a moment, Lucy actually believed him. With a smile like that, he could probably say 'let's jump off a bridge' and make it sound like the best idea in the world. It was dead silent for the longest ten seconds of Lucy's life before Natsu burst out laughing.

"I'm kidding. I thought you might find that funny." Natsu's smile faded awkwardly after a second or too. "Forget that just happened and follow me."

Lucy couldn't quite process his 'joke,' and she expected him to turn around and lead them back outside. Instead he walked further into the tattoo parlor, pushed open a door reading employee's only very clearly, and tugged Lucy with him.

There was no way Natsu worked at a place like this, and her sense of proper behavior had her screaming at herself to run away as if the sign had said caution: toxic chemicals inside!

However, toxic chemicals were definitely not inside; it was so very empty if anything. The door to the back room closed and Natsu let go of Lucy's hand to grab a bin and step up on it, trying to reach something high up.

"Natsu, whatever this is, can we go? It's making me uncomfortable." Her arms crossed over her chest tightly.

She couldn't see his face, yet he shook his head and grabbed a knob on the ceiling like the entrance to an attic. This keeps getting better.

Natsu pushed open the hatch to the rooftop and light from outside flooded in. The air quickly grew cold. Before she could protest, Natsu had pulled down a ladder and climbed up onto the roof.

Lucy stood there grumbling to herself like a child. "Next time, I'm picking the date."

Reluctantly, she grabbed the bars and climbed up one after the other. It was cold up on the roof yet she had nowhere better to go. Now that was sad.

Lucy huffed softly as she pushed herself off the last rung of the ladder and up on the roof. It was cold, but it was beautiful.

The ground was strewn with blankets like this was just some makeshift picnic; the cooler in the corner gave the same impression. Natsu closed up the rooftop hatch and immediately plopped down on a sleeping bag he had spread out. He patted the seat next to him.

"I know it's cold, but there's a better view of the stars out here than from the window of your apartment." He said casually.

Lucy stood there with her hands clasped tightly together, too stricken to really move. It was hard to let someone sweep you off your feet; although it gives your heart wings, who knows if they can handle the weight.

∞

_Nalu Lemon Novel_   
_Exy Koroleva © 2016_   
_Thank you for reading._   
_Some triggering scenes_   
_to be included, so please_   
_do not report. Comments_   
_& votes are appreciated._


	25. chapter » twenty four

Lucy thought that the longer she stayed out in the cold the more accustomed to it she would grow. That certainly was not the case.

Despite the chill that tried its hardest to bite and burrow through her coat and the blankets Natsu laid over her and around himself as well, the company and conversation was oddly stimulating, stimulating enough that occasionally Lucy would forget her fears of catching a cold.

Of all things that surprised her, she didn't expect Natsu to be so verbal. He was always talkative, that was true, but there were times like this that they were alone when Natsu would embody either of two personalities; one would be quiet and calm, laying together and close, and the second would be a waterfall of words from the lips of his Lucy couldn't stop staring at.

Today, Natsu had brought up music. He wanted to play something but had nowhere to plug in speakers of a charger if his phone died. Lucy assured him it would be no problem as long as Natsu didn't try to sing to make up for it.

"What do you listen to?" Natsu had asked. He was so bold and curious of the things she liked, a selfless trait Lucy found to be rare in both others and herself.

She gave a weak shrug of her shoulders, yet they were piled under a coat and two thick blankets so it seemed she hadn't moved at all. "I listen to a lot really. I think it depends on my mood and what I'm doing."

Natsu shifted a little bit towards her so they were no longer shoulder-to-shoulder. "And what would those marvelous activities be?"

Lucy had to commend him on the seeming impressive vocabulary tonight. Usually 'marvelous activities' would be 'cool stuff.' She shrugged again. "I just like background music. The quiet unnerves me. Like when I'm writing or studying."

The pink haired boy smiled in relief. "What a coincidence, I also hate the quiet."

"Oh, I don't hate it. Sometimes it's nice, especially after listening to you jabber all day." Lucy rocked to the side and nudged his shoulder with hers. "But whenever I'm trying to write or to think about something, it's like the thoughts in my head are too loud. Music calms them down."

Just for a moment, Natsu sat still in a quiet awe. "Your mind is an exceptional place."

"So it tells me." Lucy's cheeks dimpled with a restrained smile. "Things are just easier to follow when you already have a rhythm."

Natsu pushed some of his shaggy hair away from his brow before shedding one of the blankets as if he was hot. "What kind of music calms those screeching thoughts of yours? Contemporary? R&B? Extreme heavy metal?" He tucked the blanket over Lucy's frame, his arm hanging around her shoulders for an added moment of warmth.

"Kinda, sorta, and definitely not." Lucy's voice was warm with a slight laugh. "And not any of that cheesy pop crap either. I like the way guitars sound, and people with strong but steady voices."

Head tilted back slightly, Natsu looked up at the sky as if asking it for answers. "So the lady likes calming acoustic. I can find that fitting enough."

Lucy nodded her head in agreement. "Especially the song 'Hothead' by The Thunder Gods. Have you heard it?"

A pair of pitch black eyes locked with Lucy's before Natsu nodded his head and, very seriously, said, "I am great at singing that melody."

Lucy coughed to cover up her laugh. "Yes, I'm sure. So what's your fav-"

"I'll sing it and show you, okay? Since we don't have speakers, you get an extra treat and get to hear me acapella." Natsu scooted away a bit in order to really sit up straight, bearing his one blanket like a cape.

Lucy pulled her lips back in a slight grimace. "Oh, please don't-"

"I know I've seen your face before, somewhere~," Natsu threw his head back as he sang, rather howled, the what should have been a very smooth melody.

Lucy's gloved fists clenched and pulled her blankets up around her lower face, a half smile half hidden.

"I can feel the warmth of your stare and the heat in the air~!" As much as Lucy truly wanted to love the moment, Natsu was a butcher of vocals. He had a lovely voice when speaking, but for Mavis' sake it was terrible when singing.

The corner of Lucy's blanket fell off her shoulder as she reached out to Natsu, hand placed on his shoulder in attempts to get him to settle down. He vaguely reminded her of a newborn puppy first learning t howl.

She couldn't help but laugh as the pink haired boy rocked side to side with enthusiasm and belted out the next line of the oh-so-familiar chorus to Lucy. "I remember your clothes and every word you said~!"

In retrospect, Lucy wished she let herself laugh harder. After all, no one was around to watch. Surely there were to be a few people walking on the sidewalk and wondering who was butchering a chart-topper, though. Her lips pulled back in a shy smile, buried beneath her scarf for warmth.

Natsu finally calmed down, letting his head fall down to a more natural angle, in which he looked dead across at Lucy. Voice much softer, he breathed out the last line in one shaky exhale. "You make me crazy...I'm a hot head~."

Lucy's teeth clenched down on the side of her cheek. "That was...impressive."

Tongue running along his lips dry from the cold, Natsu nodded. "I told you I was good."

"How could I ever doubt you?" Lucy pulled her arm back into the safety of her blanket-cape.

In one slow yet swift motion, Lucy let gravity pull her down a bit. She fell sideways into Natsu's lap, resting on the edge of his crisscrossed thigh. His face was upside-down above her, hazed by a halo of grey winter clouds above him. "What's your favorite song?"

The pinkette above her shrugged his shoulders. "How can I pick a favorite song? It'd be like picking a favorite food, or a favorite time of the day to take a nap."

A scoff left the gap between Lucy's grinning lips. "So it's really that difficult for you, huh?"

Natsu pushed his hand through his hair, the other hand propping him up lazily. "I just don't want to waste my life on favorite things. I like it when things are different and being able to have the choice of something. So my favorite food would be a buffet, by favorite time of the day to nap would be any," he trailed off with a laugh, "and my favorite song would be whatever you're listening to."

Lucy's mouth slowly shut; while she was rather in awe with his surprising words, she tried to avoid the cliché mouth-wide-open reaction. The assertiveness he exuded in his emotions would be forever appealing to her; even if this was somehow their last moment, she'd remember it for ages.

Her mouth opened up, but she found herself for a loss of words, exactly what she was hoping against. "So what exactly was the reasoning behind the tattoo-parlor-roof extravaganza? Why not, I don't know, a normal restaurant date, or maybe wait until Spring for a normal picnic?"

Natsu's free hand drifted down, fingers settling between strands of Lucy's hair, occasionally wiggling through a small knot then combing back through again. "Gajeel used to work here. Despite their appearances, the guys downstairs are pretty nice and let me use the roof once I asked. Besides, who knows if you'll still like me come spring."

He said it so casually yet Lucy couldn't help but frown a bit at his comment. Natsu was too busy looking at the other side of the street to notice; whenever he said such heavy hearted words, it was almost as if he was joking. It almost ruined his reputation for emotional intensity.

"I can't write out that far into the future," Lucy raised her hand up over her head and let her fingers glide along his jawline to guide his attention back down to her, "but I think we'll be fine."

Natsu's head immediately fell down to hers, casting an entirely new view of his face from upside-down. He seemed like a new person; same black eyes like a photo of deep space, same thin lips, same expressive brows, yet it was an entirely new, entirely beautiful, perspective.

"You really think so, huh?" Natsu inhaled sharply. A cold breeze pushed his hair in front of his eyes as he looked down at her, but he didn't bother pushing it away; Lucy did so for him. "Well, you are the smart one."

The blonde nodded her head just once, fingers feeling the ridges of his jaw underneath her gloved fingertips. "Lucy knows best." She sighed.

Natsu's lips pulled back into his signature smile: broad, cheesy, and white as snow. "Exactly."

His lips pressed down against her forehead. He kissed her skin and the small hairs the wind blew in his way, not being picking with his kiss just as long as he got one. Lips trailed between her brow to the curvature of her ski-slope nose and the button tip red with cold.

The blankets layered around her nor the warmth of Natsu's body heat near her could not stop the chills that raked her body. His mouth glided down to hers in one fluid motion, a move so graceful that she would not have believed Natsu was capable of it had she not been there to see it, to feel it.

As erotic as those lips had been to her in the past, there was nothing quite the same about each time he kissed her, both now and every instance before. Each time bear a new insatiable presence, a new exotic discovery of sensation that lead her to looking forward to each time they kissed, that she woke up craving it like a morning dose of coffee.

Her mind elsewhere, her fingers pulled off the gloves from her hands and let them fall down beside her head. Despite the cold, she let her bare skin trace along his on his jaw, savoring the kiss from a very new angle, savoring how his face felt while he hovered over her. He was warm like her daily cup of coffee also, yet he tasted so much sweeter.

"If I kiss you like that every day then I definitely think we'll make it to spring." Natsu's lips grazed over hers with each movement of his words as he spoke, letting her mouth feel the curve of his skin as he spoke. His breath warmed her own.

Lucy nodded so slight she doubted he could even tell. "I'm sure of it."

Her bare skin rested on his, her bare lips attached with his, and her bare soul crept from her body to dance with his, all in the matter of one second, one hour, one eternity - she really couldn't tell.

  
∞

Nalu Lemon Novel  
Exy Koroleva © 2016  
Thank you for reading.   
Some triggering scenes  
to be included, so please  
do not report. Comments  
& votes are appreciated.


	26. chapter » twenty five

Lucy would never understand how Natsu always kept so warm, even in winter. Even as the first snowfall of the season quickly turned to a heavy flurry of thick flakes, Natsu was glowing like embers in an old campfire.

They still laid on the shop rooftop, and they could have stayed there for hours longer, especially is the weather hadn't been so cruel. Natsu didn't seem to mind and Lucy made do with laying on top of Natsu and piling the blankets on top of her.

"I'm not making you too hot, am I?" Lucy looked down at Natsu with an inquisitive gaze. If needed, she'd shed a couple blankets. Better to be cold and with Natsu than warm and sitting just near him.

He shook his head from side to side very slowly. "But I'm always hot for you, though."

Lucy made a posh gagging noise from the back of her throat just to make it apparent that his jokes truly were awful. He just wiggled beneath her, his arms tangling with hers in a generous 'I could hit you harder but I'm letting you win' type of play. "How cheesy."

Natsu scoffed. "I happen to love cheese."

Lucy didn't bother saying anything else; when Natsu spoke too much it was her job to balance the scales. It was her duty to lay on his chest, arms crossed over the slate of his pectorals and her chin rested on her wrists to look at him. A smile quirked up at the corner of her mouth at the notice of a little double chin from such an angle.

Feelings their legs writhe together beneath the sleeping bags and makeshift bedding brought to Lucy's attention that throughout their sexual encounters, they had never done it properly. It was a favor for him or a favor for her, but true consummation had yet to happen.

She picked her head up a little and traced her hand along the shirt on Natsu's torso, feeling the fabric beneath her frozen fingers. Even with what Lucy had gone through in the past, she always considered herself a virgin.

Just one man who enjoyed her body did not take her virginity. No, not in Lucy's mind. She had convinced herself that no man could take her virginity against her will. That man was just a man who had hurt her and nothing more. Nothing of hers belonged to him - certainly not her innocence.

Lucy had plenty of purity still within her. She was a virgin of dates until Natsu came along and took her out. She was a virgin of romance until Natsu pressed his lips on hers. She was a virgin of sensuality until Natsu laid with her and held her and nothing more. Natsu had already taken more of Lucy than any man ever could.

"Why are you smiling?" Natsu picked his head up a little bit, ears red and not from the cold. "Can you see up my nose or something?"

The blonde leaned forward, an instantly calming motion that led Natsu to lay his head back down. Her head tilted towards his own, nose brushing on his, smile impossibly wide. Her finger poked his jaw, her voice a whisper. "I can see your double chin."

Natsu took a moment to take it in. Silence before: "Impressive, right? If you get Erza to feed me again then I can show you at least two more."

Lucy nodded her head firmly. "A quadruple chin would certainly be off the charts."

With that, Natsu wiggled a bit to sit up, Lucy pushing up to lean back on her knees as well. She stretched a bit, feeling revived and refreshed from a two hour nap even though she never slept. Natsu grabbed the blanket nearest to him and rolled it up. "Let's go then, I'm getting hungry."

"Didn't you bring food?" The blonde reached over to the mini cooler set to the side. Before she could peek in, Natsu gave her the eyes of a dog who just peed on the carpet. "I never even saw you eat any of it, when-"

Natsu looked away from her and kept folding. "I have my talents."

∞

After finding out the heating in Gray's apartment had broken, the band of misfits had decided to go to Erza's. Lucy, of course, was much too sterile to let so many people in her house at once, and Natsu had too much of a mess to have so many people get through his front door.

Despite the lack of heating in Gray's apartment, Natsu and Lucy still found him wearing nothing but jeans and a ROTC t-shirt upon arriving at Erza's. It was odd to see how tan his skin looked when compared to actual snow. And here Lucy thought he would blend right in.

Emily jumped into Lucy's arms before she could even finish taking her coat off. "Hey, kiddo." She shut her eyes tightly as she felt the little girl press her lips to her cheek. An affectionate gesture, yet grotesque. Children and bacteria were as good of a couple as Gray and one dollar bills.

"ROTC, huh?" Lucy shifted Emily's weight in her arms before deciding it would be a better idea to put her down rather than drop her. "I never knew you for a military brat."

Gray looked down the ROTC label on the left pectoral of his shirt before shrugging. "It was only a training class in high school. I grew up in the suburbs kid, it's not like I learned how to fight on the streets."

He nudged Lucy's shoulder with his, giving her his devilishly mischievous smile. She shook her head before turning to Jellal. His arms slid around her torso in a friendly hug, and she tried her best to wrap her arms stiffly around his body in return.

"It's good to see you again." The blue haired male smiled warmly at her. How a father like that could ever have been in jail, Lucy didn't know, unfortunately; she wanted every little detail.

Lucy shrugged her coat off her shoulders before draping it over her forearms, too timid to ask where to hang it up. "It is. How have you been?"

Jellal sighed, his body swaying a bit as a very energetic Emily tugged at his arm. "I'm about to lose my mind if I have to stay in this house any longer but I'm making it. You?"

She gave her best attempt at a modest smile before laughing. "I'm doing good." Talking about her fear of yicky-icky stuff felt wrong compared to house arrest.

"Alright, we're going to bed." Jellal scooped up his daughter. Emily had protested, but Lucy heard him reminding her that she had school tomorrow and that mommy wanted to play with her friends as he went down the hall to Emily's room.

Erza nudged the refrigerator door closed, balancing four empty glasses in one hand and a bottle of boxed wine in the other. "The wine is boxxed and the glasses are not glass but a shiny plastic. No judgement, children are expensive." She spoke the disclaimer with a smile as she sat on the living room floor, cross-legged, and they followed.

Lucy had been sure Erza was the only one old enough to drink. Natsu and Gray were the same age, and Natsu was surely had never drank alcohol around her before. They all took a cup regardless; Lucy curled up on the floor against the couch, cradling her glass.

"It's good to see Gray is looking a little less black and blue today." Erza sighed in a motherly tone just shy of judgmental about his habit of getting into fist fights.

The raven haired man stretched his legs out and downed a few gulps in one go. "I heal quickly. My body is a wondrous place." He winked slyly.

Erza scoffed before dipping her finger in the liquid and flicking it at him. "Perv."

"Yes, but-" Gray sat up straight, slouching over casually as he sloshed around the alcohol in his hands, "-I was not the perv who trapped a girl on a rooftop with me all afternoon."

Natsu coughed and sputtered a bit after fumbling over Gray's words. "First of all, it was awesome and this is the reason why you're single, because you have no sense of romance, and-" he turned to Lucy with a pitiful face, "-must you tell our friends everything?"

The blonde simply shrugged, hiding her smile behind her wineglass. "I can't help it. Gray is just so in touch with his emotions that he makes confiding in him easy-"

"Hey," Gray's foot reached out to kick Lucy's, "watch it with the sarcasm, blondie."

She shrugged innocently yet again, lips forming a familiar grin. Erza chimed in with an airy voice, "Ah yes, a sensible and open Gray. A creature no one in any realm has ever heard of."

"Maybe we will find that mystical and kind creature one day." Natsu sighed. "But for now we're stuck with cranky Gray."

Gray chugged the last of his wine before whipping the plastic cup at Natsu. "Can we change the subject, please? I'm not feeling the gang-up-on-Gray session."

"Fine, fine..." Erza's velvety voice trailed off, delicate finger running along the rim of her cup. She looked very elegant in a way, like a woman who shouldn't be holed up in an apartment but in a three-story manor instead. "After all the holidays are coming up soon. Seeing as Jellal can't leave for our usual winter vacation, we were hoping we could have a day to spend with you guys."

Lucy had never thought she would be spending her holiday vacations with a married couple and their kid, her boyfriend, and her stripper best friend. Things had a funny way of working out like that. "Actually I'm leaving for winter vacation."

She had no idea why she blurted that out. She had no family to go to, definitely no friends back at home. Lucy was used to spending Christmas on the couch and watching the ball drop on New Year's from the comfort of her own room. A party was out of place, uncomfortable. It made her skin crawl.

Natsu set his hand on the floor, resting his palm on top of the back of her hand in a small yet affectionate gesture. "Where are you going?"

"Well, there's - there's this astronomy program, it's f-for students to travel abroad." Lucy adjusted her position a bit, yet her embarrassment had already sunk in. Rejecting social invitations had just become such a habit. "There's this summer chance to study in Hawaii, too, but for winter break it's a lot shorter trip."

Please don't ask where, please don't ask-

Erza's chest deflated with a pitiful humph. "Too bad. I was really hoping you'd be a part of the gift exchange this year. It's usually very~ fun." She pushed herself to her feet to discard grab the boxed wine and try to shake out the last of it.

"That does sound fun." Lucy noted aloud. Her face was frozen in a polite smile, trying her best not to falter.

No one brought up how sad they were that Lucy wouldn't be there to join them for the rest of the night. The conservation digressed to the ridiculous dragon onesie that Gray bought Natsu in the Secret Santa project last year, and all was forgotten.

Hours passed, Emily was fast asleep, and Jellal was sitting on the couch above Erza on the floor. Slightly buzzed and tired as ever, Natsu and Lucy helped each other stand to say goodbye. Gray was the first to leave, saying few parting words and grabbing a beer from the fridge before walking out.

"Thanks for having us over." Lucy waved shyly at Jellal from the couch. The bags under his eyes matched the color of his hair, yet he managed a wide smile and a wave goodbye as well.

Natsu was still finishing Erza's orders of cleaning up when she cornered Lucy. "It's a shame you can't hang out with us at all this year." Her smile was faint but genuine.

Her toned arms crossed over her chest and suddenly Erza's voice went lower. "We're a family here, okay? Those guys are my brothers. I understand if there is something keeping you distant from us, but we're always here to welcome a new member of the family."

Lucy's mouth parted to reply, but she found no words to speak. Erza was a bloodhound when it came to sensing others' feelings, and Lucy couldn't be more grateful; the woman knew everything without Lucy having to explain it.

The blonde's voice was weak yet audible. "I might be able to manage a gift exchange or something."

That was when Erza smiled, her arms falling from around her chest to relieve herself of the matriarchal pose. The redhead pressed her lips together, nodded, and waved slightly. "I sure hope so. You'd make a fine sister."

It was corny, but the words made Lucy's cheeks hot with redness. "I'd be a part of a very odd family."

Erza chuckled. "Like we're from a fairy tale."

∞

_Nalu Lemon Novel_   
_Exy Koroleva © 2016_   
_Thank you for reading._   
_Some triggering scenes_   
_to be included, so please_   
_do not report. Comments_   
_& votes are appreciated._


	27. chapter » twenty six

Lucy knew she was in deep when she actually debated leaving over Christmas break. She was an awful liar and always had been. It made her feel worse knowing she chickened out of a party, of all things.

She lay with her legs stretched out on the sofa, her fingers flying over the keyboard of her laptop. Lucy desperately wanted to search up astronomy programs. Maybe search up how to not be an idiot, look for ways to get out of lies while she's at it.

It was Erza's look that made her the most uncomfortable. It was like that redhead knew everything just by making eye contact. She truly was a fantastic woman.

The knock at Lucy's door made her quickly sit up and shut her laptop. "Door's open!" She shouted; she had left it unlocked for Natsu.

Low and behold, Natsu kicked off his shoes in her doorway and let them land haphazardly. He chained the door back up before hopping over the back of the couch and landing at Lucy's feet. "What's up?"

Nudging the laptop onto the coffee table, Lucy placed her legs on top of Natsu's lap. "I was writing. How was your day?"

Things seemed so much simpler now that she had gotten to know Natsu. The small talk, the deep talk, even the impromptu sex lessons had grown to ease her. There were times even that she felt like a normal woman with normal - urges.

"Boring. Erza had to keep tugging me awake in the lecture again. I think I managed though." Natsu shrugged his shoulders softly.

The blonde just smiled. "And what was the lecture about then?"

"Not clue." Natsu spoke almost too quickly, then attempted to change the subject. "What were you writing about?"

Lucy moved her shoulder meekly, lip chewed between teeth. "I don't know yet. Right now they're just words."

"Just words?" Natsu turned his body towards her, hands rubbing along her calves. "You're smarter than just words."

Managing a small smile, Lucy's cheeks became pink as she bowed her head to look down at her lap. "My empty brain seems to say otherwise."

Natsu leaned forward again, his body moving down until his head rested on her thighs, face nuzzled against soft bare skin. "Maybe you just need motivation. Like a big cup of black coffee or some other more intense drug than caffeine."

The blonde smacked the back of his head lightly. "I'm not doing drugs, you idiot." She managed a laugh.

Pressing his face against her thigh, Natsu's arm wrapped around to feel the counters of her hip. "Then don't do drugs. Do me."

Lucy took a moment before whistling lowly. "Wow. That was the smoothest you have ever been to me."

  
Natsu lifted his head up just enough to give her a proud smile. "My flirts are getting really good. Gray taught me how to be suave."

Had she been drinking something, Lucy might have just choked on it a little. "Yeah, because Gray is really smooth with the ladies." She snorted, shaking her head.

Natsu's mouth opened enough to gently bite her flesh, leaving little pink tooth marks on her inner thigh. She tried not to mind it. "Have you seen Gray in public?" He asked, breath hot on her skin. "Girls practically drool over him."

Lucy just rolled her eyes. She knew that Natsu hadn't put things together yet, but it was a trench in his childhood friendship with Gray. "That's not what I mean, like - "

Her voice trailed off when she felt Natsu bury his face deeper between her legs. It was hard, nearly impossible, to get to her core when she sat like that on the couch, but Natsu was never one to give up. His hand pawed at her leg like a puppy.

"Will you - I'm just trying to say that Gray isn't like tha - would you stop it!" Lucy's legs shuffled a bit beneath him, but it did nothing; Natsu still didn't pay attention to what she said.

Natsu ran his hand down her thigh and to her knee where he tickled the soft spot behind it. Lucy let out a wildly undisguised laugh, trying to kick away from his grasp. "Natsu!" She shouted again, through laughter now.

The pink haired young man groaned and looked up at her, ceasing his tickling for a moment in order to go back and massage her upper thighs. "And then just what is Gray like?" He asked with an impatient roll of his eyes.

"Well..." it was hard to concentrate with Natsu so eagerly trying to win her over. It was hard to deny it, especially when he was the only one to give her such strong sensations of happiness. "I mean, has Gray actually ever had a girl friend?"

Natsu's teeth grabbed onto the fabric of her comfy stay-at-home shorts and tugged on them; when he let it go, it snapped back against her smooth lower stomach. "I dunno, why does it even matter?"

Lucy puffed out her cheeks, alleviating her pent up stress through silly facial expressions. Once again shifting around on the couch, she would never admit to herself that she spread her legs just a little bit right then. "Because he's been your best friend since you were kids and you guys barely even talk."

The boy in her lap looped his fingers around the hem of her shorts and pulled them aside a bit, brushing against the thin layering of underwear. "He's still one of my only friends and he knows it. We're a happy couple, I assure you."

"But how can you be so sure of that?" Lucy protested. "It's been so long that you may not even know him anymore, and he may not even know you."

"Look, what does it matter?" Natsu picked up his head and spoke sharply in annoyance. "You've never even had any friends so how could you know?"

Lucy sat back in silence for a moment. Neither of them moved of spoke until Natsu pulled away a bit and hung his head down. "Look, I - "

"No, no," Lucy turned her head away from him, hands massaging her face, "don't apologize for the truth."

"That's not how I meant it. I honestly don't even know if you had friends when you were younger." Natsu picked his head up again to stare at her with wide dark eyes.

Lucy sat still, chewing the inside of her cheek. "It doesn't matter. Because you guys are my friends now. And I want things between you guys to be perfect. I don't know what I would do if you guys grew apart and left me without all of you together."

Natsu tilted his head to the side. "I'm sorry, Luce." His features were heavy, ridden with regret. "We're not going anywhere. But," he continued before Lucy could interrupt, "I'm also not going to sit down with Gray so we can share our deep dark secrets."

A small smile played up on Lucy's face, just barely noticeable. "As long as I get to selfishly keep all of you, then I'll allow it."

Natsu drew his hand up to his brow, giving her a mock salute. "That's why you're the best thing I've had." His onyx eyes threw her a wink, instantly reverting back to his playful ways.

  
Lucy sighed sharply. By now she just sit back and let Natsu have his way; it was no use trying to argue over business that simply was not hers. But she wanted Gray and Natsu alike to be happy; she truly did have such strong feelings for these people she met only recently.

His fingers finally pulled aside her undergarments; Lucy's one leg fell out the couch as she opened up for him just a bit more. The smile of triumph on Natsu's face made her beet red. The feeling of his lips warm against her core somehow turned her ears an even darker shade than before.

She felt him more than Lucy had ever felt anything before. She felt his lips on her center, tongue rolling over her clit. She felt him when he laced his fingers with hers so tightly that she could feel the heartbeat in his palms.

Lucy's head rolled back in pleasure, but before she could get comfortable Natsu drew away and grabbed her hips, yanking her down onto her back. She let out a few screams of laughter as his hands grabbed onto the soft spots of her sides.

He stood over her, hands pulling down her pants further along her thighs. Her legs lifted up and playfully wiggled in the air as he moved the garments down off her calves and tossed them away. The couldn't help but smile in a fit of excited giggles as Natsu shrugged the clothing from his torso.

His bare upper body fell down over her once again, strong arms bracing himself up beside her head. Lucy's eyes ran from his navel up to his sturdy chest and finally locked onto his eyes. Her hands dared to move forward, tugging at the waistband of his pants.

Natsu inhaled a sharp breath and let her hand move down into his underwear, soft skin of her hands gently stroking over his growing erection. The haze in his eyes was enough motivation for Lucy to wrap her hand around him, feeling his body in her control.

He let out a shaky exhale of excited pleasure before his hand, too, snaked down to feel at her center. At first their touches were steady, two in sync adults with the intention to make each other feel good, but they soon ended up like newborns just greedily grasping and pawing and tugging at one another as the desire to come grew in them.

Lucy and Natsu's hips moved in tune with each other, moving in the same motion to push deeper into their partner's hands. It was truly a glorious sight to see their partner trembling all because of their touch and to feel the exact same way in return.

It took only a few seconds to get in sync, but after a holding on for as long as possible and eagerly pushing the other to their limits, they came together. Lucy's head tilted back, mouth gaping open as almost inaudible moans escaped, Natsu's eyes fluttered half closed and half fixed on the erotic movement of Lucy's body when she was in pure ecstasy.

They held onto each other for a while until Natsu's arm grew too shaky to keep himself up, so he rolled over into the corner of the couch, Lucy's back to his chest, their feet tangled so she didn't fall off. There was still clothing missing from their bodies haphazardly, but the door was locked and for the first time in a very long time, Lucy enjoyed something entirely - and without regret.

Unpopular opinion as it may be, but Lucy - and likely Natsu - though that second base was a perfectly delicious base.

∞

 _Nalu Lemon Novel_  
Exy Koroleva © 2016  
Thank you for reading.   
Some triggering scenes  
to be included, so please  
do not report. Comments  
& votes are appreciated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> had to add more smut because i feel a bit bad for this not being as lemon-y as i originally intended :)


	28. chapter » twenty seven

Mistletoe was known for being toxic and deadly to even gods in some cultures, so Lucy had no idea why families like Erza's decided to string it up all around their house in strands of garland and multicolored lights.

Lucy kept on her gloves as she strung up the garland along the ceiling, to combat both the cold in Erza's temporarily heatless apartment and the scratchy texture of the strands. Plus, the eleven previous months of storage had a good bit of dust built up on the holiday decorations.

"I hate mistletoe." Gray announced in his usual pessimistic way. "It's totally tragic."

Lucy looked down at him mockingly. " _Totally_."

Gray whacked her thigh before feeding her more garland and another thumbtack to keep it up. "I'm serious. It had a history of death tolls."

She could only roll her eyes. "I seriously doubt people would kiss under it ritually if it was so scary. However, I do agree that it can be possibly unhygienic."

" _However_." Gray mocked her in return.  "You know, in Norse mythology the god of love, Balder, was killed because the god of deceit threw a mistletoe dart at him."

Lucy was never much into mythology or theology. "God of deceit?" She stuck a tack in the wall to hang up the garland before moving down off her step ladder, shifting it a few feet to the left, and getting back up again.

"Loki."

She _had_ to give him that look, that Erza-like motherly look. "Loki is the name of the deceitful? How fitting."

Gray snorted, clearly not in the mood to talk love. "Yeah, all because Balder's mom wanted him to be immortal. Except making him immune to mistletoe slipped her mind."

Lucy let a low whistle slip past her lips. "Talk about protective parenting."

Her raven haired friend nodded in agreement. "Also, mistletoe kills animals."

At that point, Lucy gasped and tossed down the rest of the garland to Gray, where he caught it in his arms in a messy heap. "Not the animals." She huffed sarcastically.

Lucy and Gray silently agreed to trade places – especially since Gray's arms were longer and grew tired less quickly. "How do you know all this, anyway?" Lucy handed him a thumbtack, to which Gray saved between his teeth.

Gray shrugged and stuck a loop of garland to the wall. "I'm majoring in history."

Lucy had never thought about what she expected Gray to be. Had she put some thought in to it, her first guesses would've been more along the lines of some physical and hands-on. "Really."

The pale young man pulled the tack from his teeth and stuck it in the garland strand. "I'm not a big fan of reality."

Lucy found herself just smiling up at him. She of all people could understand that. Even with knowing how miserable the past was most of the time, it was still a romantic thought of something other than now. Because _now_ was not always very fun.

"Why again are we slaving to put up decorations for Erza?" Natsu walked up beside Lucy, a tin of homemade cookies in hand.

Without really thinking, Lucy just grabbed a cookie and held it up for Gray. He took it and chomped it between his teeth to keep his hands free for the garland stringing. However the male still had time to roll his eyes at Natsu.

" _We_ are putting up decorations. You're eating all the cookies Jellal has been spending all day baking." Lucy held her cup of thumbtacks in one hand, and with the other, quickly snatched the tin from her lover. "When Erza comes home to find all her strawberry creme cookies eaten then you're going to be dead."

Lucy and Gray has rather recently come up with a conspiracy theory that Erza coaxed people into friendships by giving them her strawberry creme cookies. They were vanilla logs dyed Christmas green and covered in strawberry marshmallow fluff. It was the only thing besides Ramen and tea that Lucy had eaten in days, so safe to say her stomach was incredibly satisfied.

Natsu pressed his lips together in displeasure when she took away the cookies. He flicked the crumbs from his fingers at Gray, leading the other male to brush itchy food particles off his usually bare torso. He scowled and just hung up the final few feet of garland around the living room.

"Erza loves me too much to kill me." Natsu smiled childishly and looped an arm around Lucy's waist, head laying down in the space above her breast and below her shoulder. "I have that affect on people."

Lucy grinned back gently and nuzzled her head against Natsu's fluffy hair as he leaned against her. To their right, Emily and Jellal stifled squeals in the kitchen as they put their second-to-last batch in the oven.

"They make a cute family." Lucy said in a hushed voice, her lips close to Natsu's ear still.

His head turned slightly in order to look across the apartment. "I guess. Luckily the little girl got her mom's looks, though." Natsu snorted softly.

Lucy would've hit him if her hands weren't full. "You're so rude."

"And a liar. Jellal is clearly more attractive than _you_." Gray smirked as he stepped off the ladder, yet Lucy's blank expression and Natsu's look of curiosity made him clear his throat. "You know, 'cause you're an ugly punk."

 _Wow, great cover, Gray._ Lucy mentally face-palmed as Natsu moved off her. "Lucy, did you hear that? Did you – he – Lucy!"

If this was Erza's role in the group, Lucy really didn't want to take over the motherly role. "I don't care. Just eat more cookies and stop fighting." Lucy sighed and tossed the tin at the two boys.

Lucy walked up to the kitchen, leaning over the half wall to watch Emily unknowingly spread hand-shaped flour marks around the counters. "Lucy, are you sure you can't come to our Christmas party over break? We can't eat all these cookies by ourselves."

From back in the living room, Natsu and Gray shouted in unison. "Yes we can!"

Erza's child didn't even attempt to hide her massive smile. "Daddy and I can make more. We'll make sure you have enough for the party."

That was when Lucy felt Natsu's arms slide around her waist and begin to constrict slightly. His hands grabbed and tickled at her sides before a short moment before he smiled at the little girl. "Lucy's a party pooper. She's going away to do smart people things."

Both Em and Natsu scrunched up their noses at the mention of it "That doesn't sound like fun. Miss Lucy, we'll be much more fun!" Emily stood up on her tiptoes to offer Lucy a crumbly cookie.

The blonde took it but subtly slipped it to Natsu anyway. She wasn't in the mood to eat what a messy child made, even if she was unbearably cute. Maybe later. "Em, I'll try to make it. But only if you save me _at least_ ten of those strawberry crème cookies."

Emily held up her pinky as if it was a solid form of oath. "I'll try to make sure mommy doesn't eat them first. That's why daddy says her butt is so big-"

"Emily!" Jellal's face turned as red as the birthmark across his eye. He flashed Lucy - and even Gray laughing in the background - a flustered smile. "There's nothing wrong with mommy's love for cookies, you know that."

The purple haired child just pursed her lips as she held a cookie in her chubby fingers, nipping at it with her front teeth. After a moment of seemingly regrettable silence, Emily piped up again. "Will my butt be as big as mommy's one day?"

The entire apartment erupted into a fit of hysteria as Jellal attempted to hush his child and hide his blushing ears. Gray and Natsu might as well have been in a competition for who could shed the most tears of laughter. Just seeing Natsu doubled over in giggles made her smile uncontrollably.

The door opened and shut again with a loud slam, the sound of the chain locking in place. Erza stood with a paper bag of groceries in her arms and an inquisitive smile on her heart shaped face. "What's so funny?"

Natsu and Gray exchanged a series of punches and pinches in order to shut one another up. Lucy smiled and took a cookie from Emily just so she wasn't standing their plain and empty-handed. "Natsu farted really loudly." She said quickly, stuffing half the dessert in her mouth.

Emily scrunched up her nose again and began laughing from the kitchen. She mumbled a small 'ew' as her mother came to put away the groceries. "Typical." The redhead sighed and tossed her husband a freshly bought bag of sugar. "Make me more strawberry cookies."

Jellal caught the bag in his arms, looking like a dad awkwardly holding a newborn. "We just made three batches. And you haven't even had any yet."

The scarlet woman narrowed her eyes. "I can already tell it's not enough." And just like that, her intense expression faded and was replaced with a smile. Erza kissed Jellal on the cheek before leaving the kitchen to come greet her friends.

"Nice decorations." Erza spoke up, though she seemed to be talking mostly to Lucy rather than to a still bickering Natsu and Gray. "The multicolored lights look _so_ fun at night. Thanks for helping out even though you won't be staying long."

Lucy shrugged softly. Her mouth still tasted like pure sugar. "I'll try my best to come, really. How can I miss out on such delicious cookies?"

Although the blonde picked up a little colorful cookie, Erza just plucked it right out of her hand and took a bite. _Friends have no boundaries._ It made her both happy and uncomfortable in a confusingly good way.

Natsu snuck up behind her again, yet this time he was less stealthy and less gentle. His arms wrapped around her stomach and picked her up, making Lucy squeal madly. He twirled her around a couple times before at least letting her feet touch the ground. "I'm ashamed to say this, but can we get real food? My stomach is rumbling."

Gray came up to them and snickered mockingly. "Awe, is little Natsu's tummy hurting?"

The pinkette scoffed. "Um, duh?"

Once he let Lucy go, she breathed deeply to let the air enter her free lungs again. "Fine, fine. We can stop by the pub and grab something on our way home."

As hungry as she was, she could handle a fresh made sub. It was probably better than those plastic wrapped machine-processed sandwiches from the vending machine, anyway. Her stomach needed a change.

Natsu grabbed her hand and tugged it childishly. "We're out, see you guys later!"

Erza snorted softly. "Finally, eat something other than everything in my kitchen." She teased before tossing Natsu a complimentary on-the-go cookie.

The two of them waved goodbye before stumbling out into the hallway, hearing Gray immediately lock up after them. Lucy sighed, her gloved fingers laced with Natsu's. "What do you want to get to eat?"

Natsu scoffed through a mouthful of cookie. "One order you Lucy to go, please."

By now, his terrible sexual innuendos had somewhat worn off on her. She just smiled and shook her head. "That's not nutritious."

"But it's delicious."

"You're awful."

∞

**_ Nalu Lemon Novel _ **   
_ Exy Koroleva © 2016 _   
_Thank you for reading._   
_Some triggering scenes_   
_to be included, so please_   
_do not report. Comments_   
_& votes are appreciated._

 


	29. chapter » twenty eight

_Merry Christmas, little star._

Lucy's mother greeted her every morning at the bottom of the staircase to those cooing words. Her outstretched arms would provide a perfect room to leap right in to as she tried her best not to tumble down the steps.

The last time Lucy vaulted into her mother's arms was years ago, and she never got used to the feeling of Christmas without it.

In order to distract herself from the pains of her earlier life, Lucy set to baking. It was the least she could do to remind herself that she chose to spend another Christmas alone instead of with someone and repay her friends for their hospitality. A moot gift of sorts.

Lucy had her hair safely tied back in a bun and headband to keep the hairs away, and her arms felt a bit chill from constantly being run under the water to get dust storms of flour off her. She wasn't the best cook, but she definitely had spirit.

The knock at Lucy's front door made her bump her phone with her elbow to cease the music. Wiping her hands off on a dish towel, Lucy trotted over to the peep hole to see Natsu standing outside with a paper bag of groceries.

"Hey," Lucy stepped aside to let him in. "Thanks for going shopping for me. Did you get those chocolate chips?"

Natsu nodded his head proudly and pulled out a big bag of chocolate morsels. "There's that and more. I also got those fruity gumdrops and some other minty thing that I'm not sure what it is but it looked good."

"Sounds about right." Lucy laughed softly. She leaned up to give him a welcoming kiss to his cheek before moving back to the kitchen.

There was never really a definitive point when Lucy and Natsu became anything. They're relationship progressed in unspoken stages, and she liked it that way. This stage seemed to be the normal relationship one, and she kind of admired it.

"Wanna help?" Lucy wondered aloud, tearing open the bag of chocolate chips and dumping it into the batter.

Natsu nodded his head, his scarf already around his hairline like a protective headband or a ninja warrior. Either way it was fitting. He jumped right into the kitchen, knowing good and well that his first stop was the sink to wash off his hands.

As he dried them with a clean towel, he nodded his head to gesture at the cinnamon candies on the counter. "I don't think you can bake any cookies with those, Gray's allergic."

Lucy laughed heartily. "He can either not eat any or he can suck it up."

Natsu deadpanned silently beside her. "Luce, he's _allergic_. You can't suck up an allergy."

She wasn't sure what to say to it. "Well...you know he's not _actually_ allergic, right? He's just being overdramatic."

The pink haired boy was silent for a moment before turning away from Lucy to hide his reddened cheeks. "Yeah, I - I know. Just...being a considerate friend." He mumbled. Natsu grabbed a handful of chocolate chips and stuffed them in his mouth.

"Natsu!" Lucy whined, bumping him with her hip. "Don't eat 'em all! Besides, that's gross and you just spilled a bunch on my floor."

A mischievous grin blossomed on the boy's face. He picked up a single chocolate morsel before tossing it harmless at it, where it bounced off her cheek. "What, don't do that?"

Lucy stopped everything she was doing and stood still. She needed all of her focus to regain her composure.

Natsu threw another one, hardly able to contain his smile. The chocolate chip went down the cleavage showing from her shirt. "He shoots, he scores!" Natsu cheered to himself, hands in the air.

Grunting, Lucy pulled the chocolate chip from her shirt in order to whip it back at him. "Stop it! You're so immature."

" _You're so immature._ " Natsu mimicked before sticking his tongue out at her.

Lucy reeled back with an over exaggerated gasp. Reaching behind her, she grabbed the scraps from her sugar cookie cutting and balled a piece up before hurling it at him. "See? Not very nice, is it?"

Natsu caught the ball of cookie dough and plopped it in his mouth. "It's very nice. And sweet."

The blonde nearly had a panic attack. She jumped towards him, her hands against his chest roughly. "Natsu, you can't eat raw cookie dough! You'll get sick."

He spoke through a full mouth: "Is that real or does everyone just not want me to be happy?"

Lucy nodded her head rapidly. "I'm serious, you can't eat raw eggs. You can get food poisoning."

Natsu laughed softly. "I didn't eat a raw egg, I ate raw cookie dough."

"I-" Lucy stopped herself; there was no point in arguing there. "Never mind. Just don't do it again, you dope."

She wen to turn away, but Natsu pulled her back to him before she could. He smiled sweetly and pressed his lips against her nose. "How nice that you care about me."

Lucy looked up at him dully. "Of course I do. Now clean up my kitchen floor. I don't want to feel some gross chocolate chip between my toes."

"Even I agree that'd be pretty nasty." Natsu nodded his head obediently. "Do I have to do it now, though?" He had to whine.

Lucy looked at him and simply said, "Yep."

Natsu groaned again in rebellion. "Why do you need everything to be clean? Why can't it wait to be clean in an hour or so?"

The blonde just shrugged her sloping shoulders as she went back to her baking. "It's just better that way. It's safe, it smells good..." She trailed off softly.

Natsu stood behind her and rested his head on her shoulder. "You need to relax and embrace the mess."

Lucy snorted. "Those two things don't go together."

The male rolled his head against her shoulder like a begging animal. "Well, you're probably never staying the night at my place then."

She looked over her shoulder at him and laid a playful kiss against his head. "I mean...maybe. Someday."

Natsu breathed softly. "'Maybe someday.' How hopeful."

He had a way of guilt tripping her into feeling bad for enjoying things being in order. They were different, but Lucy didn't mind. He would loosen her up, and she would make sure he didn't die of food poisoning. It was a win-win.

Lucy wiggled her shoulders to get Natsu off her. "Come on, hand me that cookie cutter. We have tiny snowmen to cut up."

∞

Lucy was such a kind friend that she packaged the cinnamon cookies in a completely separate container than the rest of them, just for Gray.

She figured it wouldn't be too much of a hassle to have people at her apartment eventually, but for now it wasn't going to happen. Not during winter break, at least. So their clique instead decided out for dinner.

Erza was their first, as usual, a booth for four set up in a casual restaurant downtown. When Lucy and Natsu arrived, Erza didn't say hello; she just asked what was in the cookie tins.

Lucy smiled softly and set the tins down on the table. "They're early Christmas gifts for you guys. I made them myself." Natsu coughed inconspicuously. "...With Natsu's help, of course."

The redhead inhaled deeply as she popped open the lid of the gumdrop cookies. "After Emily goes to sleep, Jellal and I are going to eat all of these while watching Christmas movies tonight. Thank you." She smiled warmly and wrapped an arm around Lucy.

Lucy was practically beaming as she slid in the booth beside Erza, leaving Natsu across from them. "Where's the stripper?" he wondered aloud.

Not being able to wait, Erza broke off a piece of a cookie and at it. "If he's in another fight I swear to-"

"Are those gumdrop cookies?"

As if on cue, Gray pushed Natsu into the booth and slid beside him. He reached over the table and grabbed the tin from Erza, taking out a whole cookie and stuffing it in his mouth. "Man, I love these."

It was hard to ignore the angry twitching of Erza's eyes, but somehow Lucy managed it. "Gray, I gotta take a leak. Let me out."

Natsu nudged Gray, eagerly pushing him out of the booth. With a loud groan of disapproval, Gray got up to let him go. The pink haired boy walked away, but not before Gray soon followed. "I'm gonna go make some more room for dinner."

Erza breathed deeply. "How crass."

Her casualness to the situation only made Lucy smile. "I'm sorry Jellal couldn't come out tonight. He's really great." Lucy wasn't sure what to talk about; Erza's home seemed like a safe ground.

Nodding her head, Erza stared longingly at the tins as if seeing her husband in them before looking at Lucy again. "Yeah, he's the best."

Lucy chewed the inside of her cheek. "If you don't mind me asking, why is he, you know-"

"-On house arrest?" Erza shrugged nonchalantly. "He was involved with the wrong people, did the wrong things. He was just trying to make some extra money for us, but he never really forgave himself for it, so he turned himself in."

The blonde's eyes widened a bit. "He didn't have to be on house arrest?"

Erza shook her head. "No. Sometimes I hate him for doing that to himself, but I can't be mad. He's great, and he gets to spend so much time with Emily."

Lucy smiled weakly. "He seems like a great dad."

Erza silently nodded, her smile growing a bit. "Thank you for the cookies, by the way. You made them yourself? From scratch?"

"Well, mostly. Natsu obviously helped frost those bloody snowmen in the other tin." She pointed to the one below the gumdrop cookies. "The red was supposed to be for the scarves but it spilled everywhere so Natsu improvised."

Erza sighed appreciatively. "When in doubt, make it a blood bath."

"Amen."

Erza grabbed the tins of cookies and riffled through them. "You made cinnamon cookies?" She cooed softly, picking one out and nibbling it. "You truly are the best, Miss Lucy."

Lucy had enough time to blush and rock back and forth excitedly in her seat before Gray and Natsu came rushing back to the table. This time, Natsu pushed Gray to be on the inside.

"I'm so ready for this food to be in my belly." Natsu sighed.

Lucy stared at him blankly. "We haven't even ordered yet."

Gray riffled through the gumdrop cookie tin again, pulling one out and stuffing more than half in his mouth. "Lucy, you are magnificent in the kitchen."

Natsu scoffed and punched the raven haired man in his arm. "That's sexist, man."

The two of them were so intent on their bickering that Erza had enough time to reach over and swap her and Gray's cookies. The little cinnamon treat lay before Gray while Erza shamelessly chewed on Gray's already half-eaten food, like family.

Lucy would have spoken up and said something; _would have_ , if it wasn't so absolutely worth it. Gray didn't even look as he picked up the cookie and shoved it in his mouth, but he gagged almost immediately.

"Oh my Mavith, it'th thinnamon." Gray hunched over and fanned his mouth in disgust. "Gimme a napkin!"

Natsu and Erza both shook their heads; Lucy avoided eye contact entirely out of shame. She chewed her lip to keep back the smile.

Eventually, out of pure desperation, Gray grabbed Natsu's glass of water and spit out the cookie into it before grabbing his own water and drinking it down.

"What was that for!"

"I was going to die, Natsu."

"Then die! Don't kill my water, too."

∞

**_ Nalu Lemon Novel _ **   
_ Exy Koroleva © 2016 _   
_Thank you for reading._   
_Some triggering scenes_   
_to be included, so please_   
_do not report. Comments_   
_& votes are appreciated._

 


	30. chapter » twenty nine

Lucy hated cold weather almost as much as she hated public bathrooms. There was just no good to come from cold, all bundled up with freezing bones to the point it almost hurt. She preferred the warmth of summer, the effortless breeze of spring. It was simpler, less harsh.

So when Lucy clacked the edges of her snow covered boots against the side of the wall in her lobby, she let out a dissatisfied groan at the plumes that rose from it. She brushed flakes from her shoulders as well before digging into her bag for her mail keys.

"The heavy snow really came out of nowhere, huh?" Someone spoke off to the side. "Seems like just a few days ago was the first fall."

Lucy nodded her head slightly. "Yeah, it's-"

Her mumbling was cut short when she turned her head to see who was speaking. The voice was familiar, of course, by why Loke was in her apartment building was quite a question to her. "It's a pain." She finished softly.

Loke sat on a bench with his legs crossed and his torso leaned against the wall. "I called a cab a while ago, but I think it's taking them a bit longer with this weather."

How typical; two barely strangers making small talk about the weather. Then again, that was Lucy's strong suit. "What brought you here to _mi casa_ anyway."

The ginger flashed his signature broad smile. "I wanted to talk to Natsu."

Lucy's fingers froze up and the keys fell from her hand. Her head swiveled towards his direction with a puzzled look. "Do you realize that you and Gray really share an affinity for getting beat up?"

"I don't want to get beat up." The redheaded male assured her. "I just was looking for Gray."

Lucy snorted as she swiftly picked her keys up and brushed the melted snow at her feet from them. "Yeah, because Gray totally wouldn't fight you. Real smart."

"He wouldn't. At least not immediately." Loke sighed to himself. Pushing himself to his feet, he took lazy strides towards her. "I take it you can't help me either?"

"Not can't." Lucy's keys jingled as she opened her mailbox. There were a few envelopes inside, which surprised her. She hadn't really bought anything after finally meeting Natsu. "Won't."

Loke's brow arched up as he looked at her skeptically. "That's cold, blondie. Why not, exactly?"

"Well, for one, you keep trying to fight my boyfriend." Lucy glared at Leo as he casually grabbed her mail from her box for her and turned it around in his hands. "And two, you keep trying to fight one of my best friends."

Loke's laugh was rather charming, but given the circumstances, Lucy wasn't exactly smitten. "He's your boyfriend now? Good for him. I thought the little hothead wouldn't ever be serious enough to have a real relationship."

Lucy reached forward and snatched her mail from his hands, tucking it between her arm and ribcage. "You've put Gray through a lot of trouble. I really doubt he has any energy left to put up with you."

Loke ran his ring-covered fingers through his hair. "We have plenty of energy. Been fighting since we were three feet tall."

Pushing her mailbox shut rather loudly just for emphasis, Lucy blankly looked up at him. "Then don't you think it's about time you stopped?"

His shoulder's rolled back stiffly. "Now, blondie, we all have our bad habits. I'm sure you have at least one of your own."

Lucy could see how someone so dashing could also be so irritable. "I'm going up. If you need Gray then call him like a normal person."

"You can't just tell me where near campus he lives? It'd be such a help, sweetie." Loke leaned up against the wall of mailboxes as if just talking had consumed his energy.

"No, _sweetie_. I can't." Even if Lucy wanted to, she couldn't. This entire time she had never seen or even heard of Gray's home. For all she knew he was homeless or was sleeping at his strip club. _Some friends_ , she thought.

Lucy turned her body to walk past him, and luckily he didn't stop her. She stepped in the elevator, gently nudging the button of her floor with her knuckle. "It was great seeing you, Leo!" She smiled spitefully at him.

"It's Loke-" He argued back, however Lucy saw the mischievous grin that appeared on his face at the realization that she was simply teasing him. It was a nice image to be left off at as the elevator doors closed.

On her way up, Lucy looked through the envelopes. Bills and automatically sent Christmas cards and subscriptions, she figured. And mostly, she was right.

Lucy unlocked her front door and nudged it open with her hip. She couldn't look up; her eyes were glued to the Christmas card - more specifically the familiar return address.

"Lucy! Do you have any boiled eggs?" Someone called from the kitchen.

Lucy almost didn't realize something was off. "No, I-" was all she got out before the realization that someone was in her apartment hit her and she tripped over the shoes lying by the front door. They were Natsu's, of course, she noticed as she tossed her mail down in the bowl with her keys. "You're in my apartment."

"Thanks, Captain Obvious." He snorted as he pushed the refrigerator door closed with his foot; this hands were full. "By the way, why do you put your peanut butter in the fridge? It gets all hard and clumpy."

"Stays fresher longer." She mumbled, kicking off her shoes. "I mean how did you get in here and why?"

Natsu shrugged as he dug a spoon into the container of peanut butter. "Fire escape, your window was open - which is highly dangerous by the way - and because I missed you."

For a moment Lucy just donned a small smile. "Oh." She hummed, before adding a more stern, " _Oh._ You know even couples are supposed to have boundaries, right?"

Natsu smacked his lips, a sound that made shivers run up Lucy's spine. "You know couples are supposed to be forgiving, right?"

Lucy rushed forward, grabbing his wrist before he had a chance to put the spoon back in the peanut butter. "I'll forgive you as long as you don't double-dip."

"Deal." Natsu's grin widened as he leaned forward and placed a kiss on Lucy's forehead. She wiped it to make sure no food residue was stuck there before going back to her pile of mail.

"Hey, did Loke come talk to you earlier?" Lucy mumbled, her attention focused back on the envelope. She grabbed a kitchen knife to tear open the seam.

"Loke? Hell no." Natsu had now pulled out a handful of lunch meat and a slice of cheese, eating it as a breadless sandwich. "Why, did he talk to you?"

Lucy's attention was far away enough to not yell at him for talking with his mouth full. "Yeah. Downstairs."

Natsu stopped dead in his binge-eating tracks. "Wait, he was _here_? Like _here_ here?" His voice rose a couple notches.

Blonde hair swayed softly as she nodded her head. "Yeah." Her voice trailed off as she unfolded the paper, her hands grasping the edges harder than she should have been.

She could still hear Natsu's angry ranting, yet it was like white noise in the back of her mind. Her eyes skimmed over the typed letters on the paper, edges crinkling from how hard she held it.

' _It is with our most sincere condolences..._ '

"Lucy."

' _By request of Layla Heartfilia, we ask you attend..._ '

"Lucy~."

' _This date of December Twenty-_ _First_ _, memorial will commence at sundown..._ '

"Natsu, shush!" She screeched, turning her back to him. Why she needed him quiet for her to read, neither of them knew, but Lucy had a difficult time grasping whether of not the letter was real, and somehow maybe the quiet would help.

She could tell Natsu wanted to say something, but didn't know what. Wanted to speak but didn't want to fail her request. Instead, he moved over towards her, his hand resting on her shoulder as he looked down at it with her.

"Layla Heartfilia?" Natsu spoke slowly before realization dawned upon him. "Is that your mom?"

Lucy nodded. "Yeah, well - was." She turned around to face him before tossing the paper his direction. Her body fell heavily against the wall and she let gravity slide her down until she was sitting on the kitchen floor, elbows resting on her knees.

It took a moment for Natsu to catch the paper and look over it. "This is - an invitation?"

The blonde nodded softly as Natsu sat down beside her. " _By request of Layla Heartfilia_." She recited, her jaw clenched together. "My mom specifically asked for me to be at her funeral."

There really was nothing appropriate that Natsu knew what to say, and Lucy couldn't blame him for it. But, by Mavis, he still tried. "You know she asked because she wanted you there. If she hated you like you thought you did, this wouldn't be here right now." He held up the paper before dropping it, letting it fall between them.

"I know my mom loved me." Lucy swallowed so roughly that Natsu's eyes followed the lump in her throat as she fought back tears. "But she knew she was going to die. She was sick, or something long enough to know that she needed to ask me. Yet she still didn't tell me."

Natsu scooted towards her, his head leaning in to hers. She didn't move in return. "Maybe she knew it'd be too hard. The death of the matriarch isn't exactly the best way to bring together a broken family."

Lucy had to smile just a little at his use of the word _matriarch_ , but it fell as quickly as it came. She turned her head to face his, shiny eyes darting across the points of his face. "If Igneel sent you a letter telling you he knew he was going to die in battle, wouldn't you still want to know?"

It was Natsu's turn to take a deep breath and relive the bad memories. "He was in the military, Luce. I waited for a letter telling me he that was dead every day for years." He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, bringing her closer into his side. "I still got it, but instead of a letter it was Uncle Cana and Lieutenant Weisslogia, which made it pretty embarrassing to cry."

Lucy wished she could mimic Natsu's saddened smile, but she just pressed her lips together and bit them, hoping the pain would distract her watering eyes from the real problem. "I know my mom didn't want me to leave. She didn't think of me the same way my dad did. I just - I just really don't want to go back knowing the only person I had a chance to be myself around is gone."

Natsu was quiet for a moment. "I could go with you."

As comforting as the idea was, someone as strong and bold as Natsu would only make things worse. But she wasn't going to tell him that. "I think if I go, then I have to do it alone. Jude would probably be trying to butt heads with you the entire time anyway."

Lucy was an only child, so the context of Jude made it pretty easy to know it was her dad. Not only that, but just thinking about it seemed to make Natsu fume a little. Maybe it was Layla's death or remembering Igneel, but Natsu just calmly nuzzled his head deeper against hers. "You'd cancel your winter star-gazing trips for this?"

"Astronomy, Natsu, it sounds smarter." She mumbled, to which they both smiled faintly. "There are stars in the countryside. My old room actually had a pretty killer view."

Natsu pressed his lips to the side of her face. "Better than the view here?"

She let his lips linger on her skin for a moment before looking up at him. "Not even close."

∞

**_ Nalu Lemon Novel _ **   
_ Exy Koroleva © 2016 _   
_Thank you for reading._   
_Some triggering scenes_   
_to be included, so please_   
_do not report. Comments_   
_& votes are appreciated._

 


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